


The Raven's Game

by TallyDubh



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Artist Steve Rogers, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Chapter count may change, Creepy Behavior, Dirty Talk, Dry Humping, F/M, Fluff, Home Invasion, Irish Steve Rogers, Language, Magical Abilities - freeform, Making Out, Mythology - Freeform, Nipple Piercings, Non-human characters, Not all tags will apply to all chapters, Photomanip, Self Rescuing, Slow Burn, Stalking, Stan Lee Cameo, Steve's got a dirty mouth, Strong Female Characters, Well dressed people, catcalling, mentions of masturbastion, mentions of serious injury, please note the rating change, slightly smexy, tags to be updated as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-05-17 03:58:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 49,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14824838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TallyDubh/pseuds/TallyDubh
Summary: When Steve watches three men follow a woman into a parking garage at midnight, he doesn’t think twice about rushing to her aid. His decision to do so sets his feet on a path that will test his heart, his determination, and his honor. A storm is coming and it will rattle the world. Will Steve be able to stand against it? Or will he break and fall?





	1. Chapter 1

Footsteps echoed in the empty stairwell behind her. Her running shoes were nearly silent. These sounded like the heavy footfalls of men in boots. It was late, nearing on midnight and the platform had looked empty as she walked across it. She certainly hadn’t seen two, maybe three men down there. No one else had gotten off the train with her.

Tightening the hold she had on her drafting bag and hiking her purse straps higher on her shoulder, she quickened her pace.

Todd’s heart began to pound in her chest as the echoing footfalls sped up as well. Adrenaline flooded her system as she reached the top of the stairs and turned left. Her apartment was several blocks the other way, but the parking garage was just a couple of blocks this way. Her car was a safe place to call someone and this way she wasn’t leading them to her home. Passing under a streetlamp, she glanced at the ground and saw three shadows stretch across the pavement from behind. They had turned left as well.

Without breaking stride, she reached into the outer pocket of her purse and retrieved her car keys.

This key ring had only the fob and the key on it. Nothing else, and if it wasn’t on her nightstand it was in that pocket of her purse. She wasn’t going to spend five minutes digging through the damned bag to find her keys.

She turned left again at the end of the block. As she walked, she strained her hearing behind her, keeping her eyes moving to the shadows around her. Those three shadows stretched out toward her every time she passed under a streetlamp. Like grasping, sticky fingers trying to catch her and drag her down. Gulping, Todd quickened her pace just a little more. She’d need to cross the street at the next intersection. She’d be vulnerable as she waited for the walk signal.

Instead of risking it, she glanced over her shoulder to check for oncoming traffic. Luck was a fickle thing. There were no cars on the road, so she was freely able to duck between a sports car and a sedan to jog across the four-lane street. At the same time, it meant that there was no one around to help her should she need it. No one to notice a 5’5” woman being followed down the street at midnight. No one to come running to her rescue if she were to scream for it.

“Fuck,” hissed out from between her teeth when she heard the sound of three sets of heavy boots jog across the street behind her. They were definitely following her.

A chill ran down her spine at the thought. She knew that kickboxing class twice a week would not save her from three men. Todd couldn’t help but glance behind her at them, couldn’t stop the impulse to do the one thing she knew she shouldn’t. You never look back.

They were all taller than her; were all heavier than her.

Turning back forward, she broke into a light jog when she noticed the signal was green ahead. She had enough time to get across the street. She kept the pace up when she turned right, trying to control her heart rate when the entrance to the parking garage came into view. Halfway up the block, she knew that if she broke into a full sprint she’d be able to get there in seconds.

Where the men faster than her?

Todd didn’t sprint, instead, she simply continued to jog down the block, gripping her car keys in her fist. The stairwell was too confined, the door out onto the second floor liked to stick shut. Too easy to disappear in there. Before she’d even reached the entrance she knew she’d be running the long way up to the second floor. It more than tripled the distance to her car, but it was more open.

Taking the sharp left turn into the garage, she knew that the spark of hope in her heart that they wouldn’t follow her in here was stupid. They’d been on her tail since the subway station. She knew what their intentions were, and it had more adrenaline spiking through her. Her fingers were beginning to tingle.

Putting on just a little bit more speed when she reached the first right turn up, she disappeared behind the wall. As soon as she figured they couldn’t see her any longer she broke into a full sprint. Her drafting bag banged against her leg and she spared a half a thought to her pencils. Now her running shoes made noise in the crappy acoustics of the garage. They echoed through the cavernous space. 

Three pairs of heavy boots broke into a run only seconds after she had.

By the time they’d rounded the corner, she was only feet from her car. A dark grey station wagon. It had been third hand when she’d bought it, had needed a lot of work. But The Dragon was hers, and she loved that stupid car. It had been a gift to herself when she graduated from high school. Fumbling only a little bit with the fob, she hit the button for the back hatch. 

Skidding to a halt behind her car, Todd wrenched the hatch open only enough to stuff her drafting bag and purse into the car. 

The footsteps behind her had slowed to a walk when she’d stopped. 

Todd took a deep breath in through her nose as she closed the hatch. 

A rough male voice, slurred with too much liquor echoed harshly in the garage. 

“Hey, pretty girl! Why’d you run from us? We just wanted to say hi.” 

Todd stuffed her car keys into the pocket of her jeans. Excitement spiked through her as she turned to face these three drunkards. 

“I didn’t want to say hi to you,” Todd said, taking her first good look at them. Working class from the looks of it. Grease and dirt and city dust on their clothes. 

Taking another deep breath in through her nose, she bit back a moan as the scents of these three’s emotions filled it. Anger and pride starting to overshadow excitement and lust. These three didn’t like confident women. They wanted their prey afraid and cowering. 

A shadow flickered in the corner of her eye, and she had to fight to keep a straight face. There was a raven sitting on the handlebars of a motorcycle two parking spaces down. 

“What’s your problem, Bitch? You think you’re too good for working men?” The one who’d spoken before asked. There was a dark hunger in his eyes when Todd locked gazes with him. This was a man that would never take ‘no’ for an answer. A flicker of rage started in Todd’s chest; she banked it. She couldn’t let her anger control her in that moment.

“So I’m ‘Bitch’ now? Just a moment ago I was ‘Pretty Girl’. You boys don’t like it when a woman isn’t afraid of you, do you?” Todd asked with a smile, sliding her feet apart to be better balanced. 

The one who’d spoken before turned red with rage. He was shorter than the other two, a little broader in the shoulders. Thicker in the waist with greying brown hair. His skin was tanned from being out in the sun. There was an unfortunate tan line across his forehead that told her he wore a hard hat to work, but avoided being out in the sun otherwise. The other two were so alike they could have been brothers. Over six feet, suntanned pale skin, muddy blonde hair. The noses were different, but they had the same chins. Cousins, if they weren’t brothers. They didn’t have the line on their forehead. Didn’t wear a hard hat, or they spent time outside in their hours off. 

She took all of this in quickly, little details that told her something about these men. The smell of beer and cigarette smoke clung to all three of them, a scent that held a sameness between them each. They’d gone to a bar after work and had probably been heading home when they’d spotted her. 

Todd knew she looked like a victim. Pretty woman walking on her own late at night, her hands full of bags. These men thought she’d just cower before them and let them change her into a victim. They had been wrong. Very, very wrong. 

“If you aren’t scared, why’d you run?” One of the blondes asked. Todd’s smile turned wolfish. This one’s kin took an involuntary step away from her, and she felt her smile widen just a little further. 

“Couldn’t risk my sketches being damaged or lost while I dealt with you three,” Todd told them the truth, even as her eyes flicked between them all. The bird ruffled its feathers and screamed a challenge at the men. They didn’t even flinch, so she knew that only she had heard the bird. 

Confusion flashed across each face in front of her before they all morphed into masks of rage. A stillness came over her. She could hear the ruffling of feathers from the raven. Could hear the distant gurgle of water in the pipes high over her head. Watched the muscles bunch in the chest of the shorter man. He’d be the first to rush her. 

He managed only two steps before her powers washed across the distance between them and smacked him in the face. A split second later it hit the other two. She watched with satisfaction as the blood drained from their faces as her glamour slipped away and they saw her true form. 

“Lust is so much more filling, but I will glut on your fear happily. It’s just as sweet.” Todd hissed, flashing her grin of pointed teeth at the three men. The silent man was the first to break, his scream echoed so loudly through the garage that Todd had to force herself not to clamp her hands over her sensitive ears. 

Moments after the screams started the three of them slumped to the ground. They’d all three fainted dead away. Sighing, Todd stood there for a moment with her hands on her hips. She couldn’t leave them laying in the middle of the parking garage like that. Some poor sap could accidentally run them over. 

Shaking her head, she pulled her glamour back around her. It felt like a too tight shirt, hindering her movements, but she didn’t want to risk someone else seeing her like that. 

Grumbling under her breath, she got to work. 

***

Steve had seen the woman rush into the parking garage from more than a block away. He’d also seen the three men follow after her. The sight had been enough to snap him out of his own thoughts and he was surprised to find himself in Brooklyn. He didn’t even remember crossing the bridge from Manhattan. Stupid, he knew better than to not pay attention to his surroundings. 

But there was a more pressing matter at hand. Those men following her could not have been a good thing. 

Looking up and down the street, Steve waited for an opening in the traffic to dart across the street. He felt guilty for not waiting for the walk signal, but the woman was cornered. Unless she could get into her car before those three caught her, she was in serious trouble. 

Steve ran the rest of the distance to the parking garage, hoping that they didn’t catch her before he could get there. As soon as he passed through the entrance he could hear the footsteps on the second floor. The stairwell was to his right, and he wrenched the door open. Bounding up the stairs two at a time he pulled on the door to the second floor. It didn’t open. 

Gritting his teeth he tugged a little harder and felt it give just a little. Jammed. 

Gripping the handle with both hands he pulled, not at full strength, but hard enough that the door popped open with a squeal of protesting metal on metal. 

Taking a step out into the parking area, he glanced around and found the woman standing behind a dark grey station wagon. The three men had ranged out in front of her, blocking her between her car and them. 

She… didn’t seem scared though. There was an amused glint in her eye, though she never once looked his way. Which was weird because he could see her clearly over the top of a motorcycle parked between them. 

In fact, none of them had reacted at all to the nearly deafening sound of him forcing the door open. 

A familiar tingling pressure crept into his skull and Steve froze. He didn’t have The Sight, not like his mother had but he’d inherited a sensitivity to all things ‘other’ from her. He didn’t feel it often in the city, too much metal and electricity. When he did, he made sure to pay attention. 

Relaxing his shoulders and letting his eyes go unfocused, he concentrated on his other senses. Stretching his hearing and sense of smell to their limits. The sound of ruffling feathers reached his ears from a great distance. Steve snapped his eyes closed, focusing all of his attention on the sound. It grew, became more clear, sounded again from only a few feet away. Opening his eyes halfway, he saw the outline of a raven shimmering on the bike in front of him. Something was definitely going on. Reaching into his pocket he cursed himself seven ways to Sunday when he found that his little vial of sage oil wasn’t there. 

Being distracted by a hard mission was no excuse for forgetting that damned vial! 

Blinking, Steve started when the raven turned its head to regard him directly. It was no longer just a shimmering outline, but a solid bird larger than even its species got. A cold lump dropped into his stomach and he shifted his gaze away from the eyes of the bird. 

A woman’s amused voice reached his ears and he realized that he hadn’t been able to hear the voices of the people not fifteen feet in front of him until that moment. Gritting his teeth, he stopped himself from glaring at the bird by sheer force of will alone. The damned thing was fucking with him; if it was a bird at all.

“So I’m ‘Bitch’ now? Just a moment ago I was ‘Pretty Girl’. You boys don’t like it when a woman isn’t afraid of you, do you?” Her voice sounded normal, like any other woman he’d heard on the street. Yet he could feel a weight settle over him at the sound of it. Steve knew that voice would be heard over any noise, would grab the attention of everyone who heard it. She would be a hard woman to ignore. A man’s voice drifted to him, but his mind didn’t retain the words, it was so focused on her that they simply passed him by. 

“Couldn’t risk my sketches being damaged or lost while I dealt with you three.” Her voice came again and he felt almost drunk. His vision was swaying, his head felt heavy and stuffed with cotton. Every blink of his eye was a fight to drag them open again. 

What was happening? Nothing had ever snagged him as quickly or as thoroughly before. Even before the serum his abilities had protected him to a degree. 

The battle cry of a raven broke whatever web of magic had settled so easily over him, and he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden sound. His eyes snapped up to look at the woman and he gaped at what he saw. 

She’d changed. Small horns sprouted from her hairline to curve out and up. Her ears were elongated and stuck straight out from her head. Covered in cream-colored fur he recognized them as cow ears. A thin cream tail with a tuft of dark brown fur, the same color has her hair, thrashed around her thighs. Steve swallowed thickly when she grinned widely, showing pointed teeth.

Before he could fully process what he’d seen a wave of power smacked into him, dropping him to his knees as terror like he’d never felt in his life gripped his mind. When he thought back on that moment he would remember hearing screams echoing through the garage, but as he lived it, all he could concentrate on was staying conscious. It was a fight that he was losing, however. 

The last thing he remembered was a black and blue feather floating into his vision before he slumped down onto the grease-stained cement under him. 

When he awoke he was alone. The woman, or whatever she was, was gone. The grey station wagon was still there, but the men were gone as well. He didn’t really expect to see the raven again.

Struggling to his feet, Steve took a closer look around him, trying to make sense of whatever the fuck had just happened to him. He walked the space several times, trying to find some clue, but all he found was that long black feather. One that gleamed blue and green when the light hit it just right. 

Tucking it into his pocket, Steve took his notebook and pen from his pocket and jotted down the license plate of the station wagon. Moving slowly, he made his way out of the parking garage. His phone told him he’d been out for only about half an hour, but he felt like he’d laid on that cold ground for a lot longer. Stiff and a little sore, Steve brushed at his clothes, trying to get some of the oil off, but finally gave up. This late, not a lot of people would be on the Yellow line back to Manhattan. 

Steve knew he didn’t want to take the time to run all the way back to the Tower. He was shaken and just needed a quiet place to think. When he’d left for a run to clear his head, he never expected to run into something like that. No matter how strange New York was, it wasn’t often that you found someone that ‘other’ here. 

Shaking his head at the strange night he’d had, he began to jog down the street toward the subway station. 


	2. Chapter 2

Steve felt like he’d barely slept at all when his alarm went off the next morning. For the first time in a long time, he seriously contemplated just rolling over and going back to sleep. He remembered only the vague notion that he’d dreamed. Strange and twisted things, but the memory was thin. It slipped through his fingers the longer he tried to remember. 

Grumbling, Steve rolled over onto his stomach, punching his pillow into a more comfortable shape. He hugged the pillow and set his chin on one forearm. The night before drifted back into his mind as he let the dreams go. No reason to dwell on something he couldn’t remember when there was a much more complicated mystery to solve. 

The ride home on the subway had given him plenty of time to think, though the more time he spent thinking the more questions he had.  

What was she? Who was she? How could someone like her survive in the city? 

Most creatures who had such a powerful glamour couldn’t survive around so much metal and manmade structures. But she didn’t seem like she had been suffering. From the glimpse he’d seen of her true form she seemed to be thriving. 

Though that brought up the other problem he was having. Was that her true form? Or had it been an illusion used to make the three men more terrified? It hadn’t been hard to realize that Steve had not been the focus of her attack the night before. She had been defending herself against three drunk men. The raven had to have been involved in whatever was happening. It had been too big, and too intent on the goings on to have simply been a normal bird. Add to that the fact that it had hidden from him until he’d broken through its hide-me spell just added more credence to it being involved. 

Steve knew it was foolhardy to get tangled up in anything to do with that bird, but he was so curious about the woman. And if the rumours he’d been hearing about the UN wanting to register ‘Enhanced’ people were true, then it may be best to find her and warn her what was happening. Warn her to continue to stay hidden from the government. 

Many people seemed to forget that he had been alive the last time a government had forced people to identify themselves as ‘other’. He’d watched the flood of Jewish families come to America in hopes of escaping the horrors that were brewing in Europe. People never forgot that he fought against HYDRA with the Commandos, but they always seemed to forget that HYDRA was just another faction of the Nazi regime. 

Just the rumours that the UN wanted to register all of the ‘Enhanced’ people, to put them on some kind of watchlist was sickening. It was the first step down a slippery slope that he’d watched governments slide down before. 

A sudden loud banging on his door jarred him out of his thoughts and he glanced at the clock projected on his wall. He’d been laying there stewing over the past for more than an hour. Sighing, he rolled out of bed and padded to the door in only his briefs.

As he approached FRIDAY projected an image of who was knocking on the door for him and he groaned. It was Sam. He’d forgotten that they were going for a run that morning. Rubbing a hand over his face, he swung the door open. 

Sam looked him over from head to toe and snorted softly. 

“You look like shit,” Sam commented, breezing into the room and closing the door behind him. Steve glared at him half-heartedly before turning toward the kitchenette in the corner. 

“Certainly slept like it,” Steve said, staring forlornly at his blender. He didn’t want a protein shake for breakfast. He wanted a plate of eggs and bacon and fried potatoes piled high. A stack of pancakes smothered in syrup. 

“Go shower and get dressed. I’ll go change into civvies and we can go to that diner down the road you like so much.” Sam said, shoving Steve between the shoulder blades when he didn’t move right away. 

“How is that you can always tell what I’m thinking?” Steve asked, turning to watch Sam head back toward the door. 

“Because I’m just good that way. Get showered, dude. You reek!” Sam called, even as he closed the door behind him with a snap. Steve stared for a moment longer before shaking his head. It was good to have Sam around more now. Ever since the SNAFU with Project Insight, Sam had been splitting his time between New York and DC. Though Steve could tell that he was looking forward to when the new facility would be finished and he could move out there. 

Steve didn’t remember the license plate number he’d jotted down last night until he was out of the shower and getting dressed. Chewing on his lip as he tried to figure out if he should just leave her alone or track her down, Steve stared out the window at the New York skyline. 

Sam knocking on the door again broke him out of his thoughts. Sighing, knowing he needed to do it, he dug his notebook out of the sweats he’d had on the night before. 

“Hey FRIDAY? Can you look up a plate number for me?” Steve had to stop himself from looking up at the ceiling. It didn’t matter where he looked, FRIDAY would be able to hear him. 

“Of course, Captain Rogers.” The voice still reminded him of his mother on occasion, but he swallowed down the heart hurt those memories still caused and rattled off the plate number. When FRIDAY had confirmed she had it correctly, Steve stuffed his feet into his shoes, grabbed his keys and wallet and rushed out the door. His stomach was growling up a storm already. 

***

Steve finished his plate of bacon and eggs before Sam did. He had to admit, maybe the tall stack of pancakes were a case of his eyes being bigger than his stomach. That was fine, he’d just get a box and eat them later with peanut butter and jam. Instead of interrupting Sam while he was so clearly enjoying his goat cheese omelet, Steve leaned back in the booth and fished his phone out of his pocket. 

Luck would have it that FRIDAY had come through and there was a file waiting in his inbox from the AI about the car. The station wagon was registered to a woman named Todna Corvid. She worked at a graphic design company in Manhattan; apartment leased in her name in Brooklyn; house owned out on Long Island. Steve clicked through to her website and found a place where he could request a meeting with her. 

By the time Sam had finished his food and pushed his plate away, Steve had a confirmation email from her about a consultation meeting the following day. The place stated for the meeting wasn’t the same as her work address, but when Steve googled it he found a coffee shop a block away. It was good enough, though perhaps a little more public than he would like for the conversation he had in mind. He’d make it work. 

“So… You wanna tell me what’s got you in such a funk? Or should I just guess?” Sam asked, slowly turning his coffee mug between his cupped hands. Steve locked his phone and laid it on the table next to his own coffee, wondering where the hell to start. 

“You ever wake up knowing you had strange dreams, but not remembering them?” Steve asked. He’d keep the woman and the encounter with her to himself for now. It may be nothing, but that creeping pressure in his skull told him not to speak of it just yet. He needed more information about this Ms. Corvid before he said anything. And that raven gave him pause as well. Any bird that could do that, especially a raven, was one to tread lightly around. 

“I think everyone has, but I see where you’re going with this. Always throws me when it happens, too.” Sam said. Steve’s eyes roamed the diner, then outside through the window as Sam studied him over the rim of his cup. He knew that he wasn’t fooling his friend, knew that Sam wasn’t going to believe that strange dreams and a bad night of sleep were all that was going on in Steve’s head. Steve just hoped that Sam wouldn’t pry about it, he didn’t want Sam to think that he didn’t trust him. 

“Couldn’t fall asleep last night, so I went for a run. That last mission was a shit storm, and couldn’t get it out of my head. Didn’t get back to the Tower until after midnight.” Steve offered, trying to give Sam something to chew on so he wouldn’t press. Sam snorted and set his cup down. 

“Yeah. It was a shit storm. But I also know that’s not what’s chewing on you today. I won’t push, just promise to fill me in when you’ve got it worked out.” Sam said. Steve sighed and grinned at Sam, reaching over and snagging the last piece of bacon off his plate. Sam swatted at his hand, but it was half-hearted. 

They quickly fell into a conversation about the last mission. By the time that conversation had run dry, they were on their way back to the Tower, laden down with three dozen donuts for the rest of the team. Steve was still distracted, his mind on the feather that was sitting on his dresser. On the woman and what had happened in that parking garage. He knew he wouldn’t get answers until tomorrow at the earliest, but he just couldn’t seem to shake this feeling that he was walking into something he wasn’t prepared for. 

***

Todd scowled at the woman sitting at her dining room table. She’d just gotten back to her apartment after a long day. She’d had to stay late again, on top of being wiped out from using her powers the night before. It would take several days before she had recovered, longer if she couldn’t get ahold of her friend. A friend she’d met in college who was comfortable with her feeding off him. 

“Don’t just stand there, Todna. Come and give your mother a kiss.” Nemain said, standing from the table to meet her daughter halfway. Her long grey dress swished around her ankles as she moved. Bare toes peeked out from under the hem. Nemain’s long dark hair was in intricate braids, beads and feathers worked into them. The beads rattled softly against the wide leather belt her mother wore around her waist. 

Todd sighed, but set her bags down and went to her mother. She had to stretch up on her toes while her mother bent so she could press a quick kiss to each of her mother’s cheeks. Even as an adult she was nearly a foot shorter than the Goddess in front of her. After a fast but hard hug, the two women settled into chairs at the table and regarded one another. 

“I was going to be out at the house this weekend, you could have waited to see me till then,” Todd said, eyeing the strain around her mother’s eyes. Her mother did fine in the city, so long as she stayed in her raven form. Too much metal, too many man-made structures were a strain on her, something that Todd felt to a much lesser degree. It’s why she spent as many weekends as she could at the little house she owned on Long Island. Let her be surrounded by nature so she could recharge and recover.

“I could have yes. But I knew how drained you would be after last night. So I brought a gift.” Nemain held out her closed fist, and when she opened it there was a small bottle of shining golden liquid in it. Todd stared at the bottle, then stared at her mother for several long minutes before she reached out and took it. 

“What’s going on, Mother? This is not something given out to Demis like myself. Not lightly anyway.” Todd held the bottle gingerly in her hand, knowing it was foolish to think it fragile. Nothing fragile could hold Ambrosia. She could more than likely throw this at the wall with all her strength and the wall would dent before this delicate looking bottle so much as chipped. There wasn’t much of it, barely a mouthful. More than enough to replenish the energy she had used last night, and keep her going for several weeks if she didn’t have another reason to use her powers. 

“Come now, Todna. You are my daughter, I can spare a mouthful of that to see you healthy.” Nemain said, even as she waved her hand over the table. A gleaming silver tea service appeared, one that Todd knew was sitting in the china hutch at her house. On Long Island. Nearly an hours drive away. Sighing at her mother’s theatrics, Todd slid the bottle of golden liquid into the pocket of her jeans. Along with what smelled like a light floral tea were finger sandwiches, plump red grapes and small squares of white and yellow cheeses. 

“Mother. Please don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes. You have a reason for doing everything, and please don’t try that bullshit excuse of me being your daughter again. We both know better than to think that you would coddle me now.” Todd said. She didn’t bother to look up to see her mother’s reaction as she went about making herself a cup of tea. The tea was a pale pink, and she stirred only a spoonful of rich brown sugar into it. Tapping the silver spoon against the rim of her cup, she finally looked up. 

Namain was frozen, staring into the distance as energy crackled between her braids, making the beads rattle like a snake’s tail. Her golden eyes had disappeared, swallowed up by blackness swirled with colors. Todd had seen this enough times to know what was happening, even if a chill ran up her spine. This was never a good sign. When her mother finally spoke, her voice echoed with the clash of battle and the cawing of ravens. 

“A storm is brewing on the horizon. Shipkiller. It will rattle the world of Men and leave behind it rubble and ruin. City Killer. The five halves of the whole are being collected. Only an army of warriors gathered across time and the realms will stand as shield against the raging winds. World Killer comes.” 

When the last syllable faded into the hum of the fridge, Nemain slumped slightly back in her chair. Todd studied her for a moment, taking in the weariness in every line of her body. Whatever this ‘World Killer’ was, it was very very bad. 

Todd poured her mother a cup of tea, steadying the pot when she realized her hands were trembling. Two spoonfuls of sugar went into the cup and she swirled a spoon through the pale pink liquid as she waited for Nemain to settle. The Goddess across from her was the personification of the raging of war. She was righteous fury and bloodlust made flesh, and what she saw had her coming into the city in her human form to warn her half-blooded daughter. It was enough to have Todd wondering if it would be better to call her friend and store the gift of energy in her pocket away for a better time. 

“I do my best to stay out of those things, Mother. I am no Goddess as you are.” Todd reminded Nemain when the other woman delicately took the cup of tea from her. Her mother studied her over the rim of the cup as she sipped, and Todd got lost in the swirling gold of those eyes. Eyes that saw through the eons and into the hearts of people. Carefully, trying to hide the shaking of her hands, Todd nibbled on a finger sandwich. It was a poor offering to her growling stomach. She’d had no time to get lunch that day. 

The brush of her mother’s fingers against her shoulder froze Todd in place. She couldn’t take a breath, she couldn’t even look up from the tray of snacks in front of her. Frozen in place she listened to that voice filled with the screams of birds and trembled. 

“You will not be able to stay out of it this time, Todna. Something changed last night that shifted the path you walk in a way that you will rush headlong toward this new danger. You are already on the path and there is no way to change it. I wish only to protect you, so forgive your Mother her worry.” Nemain’s voice faded away, and when Todd was finally able to breathe again her mother was gone. A long black feather lay in the seat she’d been sitting in, and the door to the balcony was wide open. Todd huffed at her mother’s dramatics and went about cleaning up the tea service. She’d have to remember to take it back out to the house this weekend. 

After dinner, and a long soak in the tub with her favorite bath bomb, Todd laid in bed staring at the ceiling. What about last night had changed the course of her life so drastically that her mother would go to the extreme of giving her Ambrosia? The tiny bottle of liquid was tucked into the very back of her freezer, waiting for the day that the ‘World Killer’ came. 


	3. Chapter 3

Todd was distracted on Wednesday. It had been a couple of crazy days after all, and she had a lot on her mind. So when an alarm on her phone went off just before lunch reminding her of the consultation meeting she had, she wasn’t particularly happy about it. She’d managed to get ahold of her friend, Mac, but they wouldn’t be able to meet up until Saturday at the earliest. This left her with a few long days ahead running on fumes. She was praying everyday not to run into any reason to use power she didn’t have. 

As she packed up what she thought she might need for the meeting, she grumbled to herself. She knew she was being unkind to the client she was leaving to meet, but all she wanted was a cinnamon roll from the bakery down the block and the biggest chai latte that Starbucks had available. The cinnamon roll would have to wait until after the meeting, but she would be able to  have the latte during. They were meeting at a coffee shop afterall. 

Stopping in her boss’ office on the way out, she was pleasantly surprised to be told to expense her lunch. Greg was in a good mood that day apparently. Expensing the cinnamon roll was a nice upswing to her day, but she still wasn’t looking forward to having to wait until after the meeting. 

Todd flinched as she stepped out into the midday foot traffic. Too many people all pressed together was making her nervous. She knew it was because of the gaping space below her heart where her power reserves normally rested, but she also knew that being followed the other night was going to leave her a little jumpy for some time. Didn’t matter that she was able to defend herself, didn’t matter that those men hadn’t actually done anything to her. They’d intended to, and that had left a bitter taste in her mouth that wouldn’t fade for some time. 

Almost as soon as she moved out of the shadow of the building she regretted wearing the long sleeved shirt. It was hot out. Hot and humid and she was in jeans and a light sweater. The tank top she’d put on first had left her feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Carefully avoiding the other people pressed in tight around her, Todd picked her way down the block toward the coffee shop. She fought the urge to flinch away from every man who passed by her, trying not to think about the fact that she was not nearly as okay as she’d was pretending to be. 

Before she knew it she had arrived. She sighed as she stepped into the air conditioned cafe, relishing the chill that rushed through her as the cool air met the sweat on her skin. Todd moved up to the counter, fishing her phone out of her pocket as she did. The appointment request had come in via the company website, so she didn’t have a picture of the client, but maybe she’d be able to ask the barista if someone by that name was there. 

Pulling up the information, she chuckled slightly at the name. Steve Rogers. He must have to explain that he wasn’t Captain America a lot, poor guy. She was still reading through the small amount of information she had for the appointment when it was her turn to order. 

When she’d turned from the counter after paying her eyes fell on a man sitting at a table in the corner and froze. There was no way… it had to be a coincidence. Shock and fear gripped her heart when she recognized the profile of that man. A soft cough behind her snapped her out of her frozen state and she slowly made her way over to the other end of the counter. 

Why was Captain America of all people asking to meet her? Maybe he wasn’t here for her? Maybe the universe had just aligned in a sick joke and he was here by chance when someone that shared his name was waiting for her. Trying to swallow down the fear that the leader of the Avengers had somehow found out about her and her powers, she turned away from that corner and scanned the rest of the small cafe. 

Her eyes landed back on him just as the lady behind the counter called out her name. Todd’s eyes widened a little when his head came up to look in her direction at the name. Her hands were trembling as she took her chai latte from the woman. Taking a deep breath in, Todd firmed her spine and carefully made her way over to his table. He stood as she approached and she couldn’t help the small upturn of her lips at his manners. Even if the action confirmed that he was the one she was looking for. 

“Steve Rogers?” She offered him her hand carefully, trying to keep from spilling her drink. He took her hand in a firm, warm grip. Her hand disappeared into his, and she had to wonder at the calluses there. They were very similar to her own, and she try as she might, she couldn’t remember anything about him being an artist from the history books. 

“Todna Corvid? Yeah, I’m Steve.” He said, returning to his seat only after she had settled into her own chair. There was a half empty cup in front of him that smelled of chocolate and whipped cream, and an empty plate with bread crumbs on it. Trying to keep her nerves at bay, Todd smiled as warmly as she could at him, even as she reached into her bag and pulled out a notebook and pen. 

“Please, call me Todd. Only my mother calls me Todna.” Todd said, opening to an blank page. When she looked up at him she found him studying her with a steady gaze. His face was mostly blank, though there was a slight crease between his brows. When she caught herself staring at the way the long sleeved black shirt stretched over his broad shoulders, she tore her gaze away and took a sip of her latte to try and cover her blush. 

“So long as you call me Steve.” Steve said, seeming to relax just a little bit. Todd studied him for a moment as she set her drink back on the table. Taking up the pen, she fiddled with it as she started. 

“What can I do for you today, Steve? The information you gave us was pretty vague. I wasn’t aware that The Avengers needed a historical set designed,” She asked. It was fascinating to watch color spread through his cheeks, even as it caused the knot in her stomach to tighten. So he wasn’t here because of her work. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t need your help in that department. I just wanted to meet with you so we could talk. I really am sorry to be taking up your time while you’re at work.” Steve said, fiddling with the cup in front of him. Todd tensed up, not liking this one little bit. 

“So what can I do for you then? Why did you want to talk to me?” She asked, setting the pen down and leaning back in her chair. Trying to project an image of calm and confident even while her stomach roiled. When he leaned a little closer and dropped the volume of his voice, she felt her heart skip a beat in her chest. 

“I was in the parking garage the other night.” It was all he said, and it was enough to have her feeling like what little she had in her stomach was going to make a repeat appearance. She hadn’t seen or heard him there. Hadn’t known anyone was there other than the three men who’d followed her. 

Instinctively she reached for power to protect herself and had that uncomfortable lurch of finding it almost gone. Like she’d taken a step down on stairs only to find that there wasn’t one there. She had to grit her teeth hard to keep her stomach where it was. Her heart was pounding out a staccato beat against her ribs and she had to swallow twice before she could speak. 

“What… do you want with me?” She asked quietly, her eyes flicking around the room behind him. Could the businessman at the next table hear them? What about the mom with her newborn sitting on the couch a few feet away? 

What did he want with her? She’d heard the rumours about the government wanting to register enhanced humans. Was he here to do that?

“Nothing. I wanted to talk to you, learn more about you… Warn you to keep whatever you are quiet. There’s some rumours that the UN is trying to put a bill together to register people like you and me.” Steve said it just as quietly as he had before, and she watched his eyes dart over her shoulder. Knew he was checking to make sure that anyone behind her wasn’t close enough to hear their conversation. It took her a moment to register what he was saying.

“What? I mean, I’d heard the rumours myself. But.. you’re warning me? I thought you’d of all people would be all for knowing who had what powers?” She asked. Steve’s eyes snapped back to hers and the coldness in them made her sit up straight. It was then that she remember exactly who this man was. What he’d done before he went into the ice, what he had stood for back then. Lifting her drink, she wet her throat before she was able to speak again. He’d just opened his mouth to reply when she did. 

“Sorry. I’d forgotten what you stood for back during the war.” Todd said. She dropped her eyes in shame, wondering how many times he had to remind people of his past. Her eyes landed on his chest, and she took a moment to appreciate the sweater he was wearing, even as she noted his shoulders relaxing under it. 

“You’re not the first to forget it, but I thank you for remembering. I lived through the fear and prejudice that ran rampant through Europe with the registering of the Jews and all the rest. If this bill goes through… it’s a damn slippery slope. Just… try and be more careful with when you use whatever powers you have.” Steve leaned back in his chair, lifting his drink in his hands to take a sip. Todd noted how long his fingers were before she blinked and looked back up at him. She really needed to get her hormones under control. She shouldn’t be lusting after the man who could make her life very very bad if he wanted. 

“To be frank, I wasn’t aware that you were even there. I’m normally very careful about when and how I use my abilities. And I have no idea how it is that I didn’t notice you.” Todd said, trying to relax but knowing that she failed. She met Steve’s eyes and wondered what he was thinking about. His face was blank, not even that tiny crease between his brows was there. Forcing herself not to look at his throat as he swallowed, she tried to keep her own gaze steady.

“I think that the raven hid me from you, for whatever reason it had to do so.” He said it slowly, his eyes roaming her face as he did. Todd knew that whatever he was looking for he saw as her eyes went wide and she felt her mouth drop open a little. He’d seen Nemain. He shouldn’t have been able to see her unless she wanted him to. 

Unless she’d wanted him to. 

Of course. Todd’s mother was never one to turn down the opportunity to interfere with her life. Sighing, Todd made a mental note to call and bitch at her mother about it when she had time. 

“I’m sure you’re right, and I’ll be having words with her for setting this little meeting up in such a way. She could have at least warned me.” Todd grumbled, scanning the room once more. She’d seen him do the same several times. Not surprising, considering everything he’d gone through. She wondered if he was seeing someone about his PTSD.

When she’d returned her attention to Steve she found him openly gaping at her. Lifting an eyebrow, Todd cocked her head slightly. After a moment he snapped out of it and spoke again. 

“I would advise against antagonizing that bird. If it’s who I think it is, that’s not the best way to live a long and healthy life.” Steve said, still looking taken aback by her attitude. Todd snorted dryly. 

“Her name is Nemain. And normally I would agree with you, but seeing as she’s my mother, I think I’ll be okay.” Todd said. This time she choked on laughter at his expression. She didn’t think she’d ever seen someone so shocked in her entire life. Whatever Steve had been expecting her to say, admitting that the raven was her mother was probably the last thing on his mind.

“Nemain is your…” He didn’t seem to be able to finish the sentence, or perhaps the words just wouldn't come out as he sat there gaping like a fish. Todd coughed and tried to control her laughter, succeeding only a little. 

“My mother. Yes.” She said, biting her cheek to keep from laughing again as his teeth clicked together. He sat back heavily into his chair, his eyes glazing over as he processed this information. After what felt like several minutes, he hissed just one word in reply. 

“Fuck.” 

The two of them finished their drinks, discussing Todd’s abilities and mother in hushed tones. In the end Todd left him with her card, her personal cell number scrawled on the back of it, and received his own card in return. Steve promised to keep her updated on what the UN was doing in regards to the registration of enhanced individuals, and she promised to let him know how the conversation with her mother went. 

They parted on the street, and as Todd turned toward the bakery where she’d get her lunch Steve gently took her elbow. 

“Just be careful, please. It’s best if you stay hidden for right now.” Steve said, raising his voice only enough to be heard over the din of the street. She wondered for a moment how he didn’t melt in that sweater, but pushed it out of her mind as she looked up at him. Nine inches was a long way up, even if he was shorter than her mother. 

“I’ll do my best, so’s long as you promise to not to do anything stupid in the meantime.” She watched him open his mouth as if to reply, then click his teeth closed on whatever it was. Pain flashed across his face before disappearing. Instead of saying anything else to her, he nodded and disappeared into the crowd as quickly as her mother could have. Todd stood blinking after him, wondering what she had said that had affected him so badly. 

A man ramming into her shoulder as he passed brought her out of her thoughts and her stomach nearly screaming at her had her turning her feet toward the bakery. It was well passed lunchtime afterall, and she’d only had a couple of pieces of toast for breakfast that morning. 

She’d worry about everything that had happened when she got home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about drawing tablets, so everything I've mentioned in here is vague AF. If anyone would like to educate me I'd appreciate it. Happy Reading and comments are life!

To say that Sam was shocked was an understatement. Steve had returned to the Tower after his meeting with Ms. Corvid and had filled his friend in on what all had happened over the last few days. Steve was sitting at the breakfast bar in the common room, while Sam had been busy making a snack. Had been, because he was now standing there staring at Steve with a knife raised over the cheese he’d been cutting. 

When he hadn’t moved in more than a minute, Steve reached across the counter and carefully took the knife out of his hand. That snapped Sam out of whatever state of shock he’d been stuck in. He set his hands palms down on the counter, hung his head and took several deep breaths. 

“Christ, Steve. Life certainly is more interesting since I met you.” Sam said, looking up at him through his lashes as he continued to process everything. Steve nodded and took another sip of his water. He knew he should eat something, knew that if he didn’t he’d start to shake soon. But he wasn’t up to trying to force food down right then. 

Todd’s parting comment had hit him hard in his gut, leaving an ache behind. She had reminded him so forcefully of Bucky at that moment that he’d actually opened his mouth to reply as he would have to his best friend. The best friend that was still evading their attempts to find him. Thus far they had only found burned out remains of HYDRA bases and empty safe houses. They were so far behind Bucky that Steve despaired of ever finding him. With this crap going on with the UN it was more important than ever to find him. 

To hear those words come from someone else’s mouth had shaken him to his core. He itched to lose himself in his sketchbook, but he knew that if he picked up a pencil that Bucky would appear on the page. He had sketched his friend too often lately to want to try and pull that knife out of his heart again. 

“Steve?” Sam’s voice broke him out of his thoughts and from the look on his face it hadn’t been the first time that Sam had called his name. Sighing, Steve rubbed at his temples. He was letting his mind wander again. 

“What did she say to you that’s got you so far in your own mind?” Sam asked. Steve’s head snapped up to look at him. He couldn’t help but wonder again if Sam actually could read his mind, or if he really was just that good at reading people. Studying his friend as Sam finally picked the knife back up to finish his snack, Steve tried to figure out how to tell Sam about the thoughts in his head. 

“Just worried. There’s a Goddess of War meddling in my life.” Steve knew it was a diversion, knew that he should have told Sam the truth. Knew that Sam deserved better than a half-truth but Sam already worried about him. Sam watched him for a long moment before looking away, and Steve felt a stab of guilt run through him. 

“Yeah, I think that would worry anyone. So what are you going to do about it?” Sam asked. Steve could hear something in his voice that he couldn’t identify. But he didn’t want to face it, didn’t want to face the fact that Sam more than likely knew that he was hedging. 

“Don’t really know. Tread carefully I guess. Focus on finding Bucky and try not to piss Nemain off.” Steve said. He drained the rest of his bottle of water and stood. He tossed the bottle into the recycling bin and followed Sam into the media room. Maybe some mindless TV would help settle him down. He doubted it, but was willing to give it a try. 

***

The Tower was quiet, everyone else having jetted off for the weekend. Clint and Nat had returned to the farm; Laura and the kids were sick. Tony had swept Pepper off to the Bahamas or somewhere else hot and sunny. Sam had returned to DC to go to his nieces’ birthday party; she was turning five. With Banner and Thor off-world, and Wanda and Vision at the facility upstate getting everything finalized, Steve was the only one in the upper levels of the Tower. 

Everyone had someone else to go home to, had something outside of the Avengers. It left Steve feeling alone and restless.

It was Friday night and Steve couldn’t even go down to the gym and beat heavy bags until he could pass out from exhaustion. He’d taken a stray bullet when Sam and he had gone after another safe house. Now he was laid up in bed for a few days while his shattered femur healed. Dr. Cho had repaired the soft tissue damage from the shot, but the bone would take time to knit. 

Thanks to Dr. Cho’s genius he had a cream that numbed his leg, he wasn’t in too much pain, but he still couldn’t do anything to burn off his extra energy. Propped up in bed like he was, a nature documentary turned low in the background, he had taken up his laptop and was scrolling through Todd’s portfolio on her work website. Her sketches and designs were amazing. When he found a link at the bottom of her bio to a different website he clicked on it. 

It asked him to sign up for the site, and he did with a throwaway email that he used for this kind of thing. Just a string of numbers and letters that had no connection to him at all. What he found after signing in took his breath away. They were paintings, bold in color and composition. The first one was what captured his attention, however. It was him, in the coffee shop they’d met in. 

He was sitting next to the window, the light streaming in from behind him lighting his hair like a halo. The black of the sweater he’d worn that day was muted, and his face was turned from the picture, so all he could see was his ear and just a little of his jaw. The caption on it had his heart kicking in his chest. 

‘Sometimes Atlas forgets that he doesn’t need to hold the world on his shoulders. He’s free to drop the weight and be his own person.’ 

Trying not to think about how she knew exactly what he’d felt like that day, sitting by the window while the weight of his life crushed him, he scrolled through the rest of her art. It was much the same as the first. Bold colors, thick lines, and  the same soul cutting insights on the subject as a caption. He found other pictures done of him and the rest of the Avengers. Most of these were just sketches, the comments linking to which reference pictures she’d used. And then he found a caption that piqued his interest. 

‘Just some anatomy sketches with the new tablet. Have some quirks I’ll have to get used to again, but it’s good to get back into the digital aspect of drawing.’ 

Digital art. 

Steve went back and looked at some of the paintings, marveling at them. No wonder she’d managed to get such crisp detail on them. She wasn’t trying to get a picture of a painting, she was just uploading a file. Steve had wanted to try his hand at digital art but didn’t know enough and google wasn’t helpful for once. He knew enough about art and the like to know that the top of the line of something didn’t necessarily mean it was the best. 

Before he knew what he was doing he’d scooped his phone out from under his thigh and was sending a text message to Todd. He’s programed her number into it before he’d even gotten back to the tower, tossing her card into a trash can on the way. 

/Found your art blog. Wow. These are really really good. You did do them all digitally?/ Hitting the send button, Steve set his laptop aside and reached for the tub of cream on his bedside table. His leg was starting to ache again. 

His phone chirped while he was smearing cream carefully over the bare skin of his thigh. The rigid brace he wore to support the healing bone unstrapped and open. 

/Thanks! And yeah. I do most of my art digitally. I have to for work, so it was just easier to do it all the time./ Steve read the reply after he’d stripped the gloves off and tossed them into the trash can next to his bed. He’d learned the hard way to always use gloves when he put it on. His hands had been useless for hours after the last time he’d forgotten. 

/Makes sense. I’ve wanted to try my hand at digital art, but Google has failed me on what tablet to use. Any advice?/ He asked. Tossing the phone down again he went about getting the brace strapped back into place. Once it was snug again he carefully swung himself out of bed. The crutches were a nuisance, but he knew that if he didn’t use them his leg would take even longer to mend. 

Stopping in the bathroom and then the kitchen, Steve hobbled back to the bedroom using just one crutch as he clamped the other under his arm and carried a plate of food in the other. He’d been smart enough to have Sam bring a case of water into the bedroom before he’d left for his weekend. Hissing through his teeth the moment he flopped back onto the bed, he took a minute to breathe through the spike of pain. He’d waited too long on the cream, he had enough sensation to feel the jolt from that landing. But the cool numbing sensation was spreading out again, dulling the pain to more tolerable levels. 

It took him several minutes to get settled again with his knee up on a pillow and several more stuffed in around his back and hips. Once he was as comfortable as he was going to get, wincing at the sheen of sweat that had broken out, he snagged up his phone. He read through the string of texts that Todd had sent him while he ate his sandwiches. 

That conversation started an easy camaraderie-ship between them, art bringing them together as Steve healed. Steve never did notice that he didn’t feel as lonely as before as he talked with her. When Tony returned on Tuesday he found Steve sitting at the table in the communal kitchen with his laptop and his new tablet, enjoying a cup of tea while he sketched. His leg was propped up on another chair, still healing, though he’d stopped needing the cream more than a day before.

“Steve! You wound me! Why didn’t you tell me you did digital art?!” Tony asked. Steve didn’t bother to look up from his sketch. There was a pigeon sitting on the railing of the balcony that he was trying to get the shape of down before it moved out of the beam of sunlight. 

“You never asked,” Steve said, glancing between the bird and his screen. The beak wasn’t quite right. He could feel Tony’s gaze on him, but he ignored it. 

“Ooo! Capsicle has sass!” Tony crowed. Steve smelled his coffee before Tony appeared in the corner of his eye. Finally satisfied that he had enough down to make a reasonable effort from memory, Steve turned a bland face toward Tony. 

“I’ve got buckets of it.” He said, completely deadpan. He was satisfied when Tony clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from spraying coffee all over Steve’s electronics. Smirking, Steve turned back to his art, humming happily as he scratched his thigh through his brace. 


	5. Chapter 5

Todd was standing in line at Starbucks when she got the text. The last two weeks had seen Steve and her texting every day. Spending more than a little time flirting instead of talking about art. He was full of sass, was the biggest troll she’d even had the pleasure to meet, and spent far too much time complimenting her for Todd’s well being. 

/I got an invite for an art show this weekend. Do you want to come with me?/ Todd had to read the text three times before it sank in that Steve was… asking her out? But that was… absurd wasn’t it? He knew what she was, knew that she wasn’t human. He’d felt her powers, had seen her true form. But that hadn’t stopped the flirting had it? 

Todd wasn’t able to reply to his text until after she had placed her order and paid. It would be a few minutes, so she found an out of the way spot in the room and pulled her phone out of her purse. 

/Are you… asking me out? I’ll go with, but I just want to know what this is beforehand?/ Todd hesitated before she hit the send button. Their friendship was so new and seemed fragile in a way that Todd couldn’t really put her finger on. Perhaps it was her own past coming to rear its ugly head again. There had been a sweet man, during the early years of college that she’d thought she could spend the rest of her life with. Nemain had had to step in and wipe his memories when he’d seen her true form and had freaked out. 

Sometimes Todd wondered if he could have learned to get past the fear that had seen him bolting from her bed and out the door. But at the same time, she understood how dangerous it was to let the world know who she was. She was a Demi, she was vulnerable in many ways. 

Steve hadn't been that way though. He’d seen her true form, had felt the sharp edge of her powers before he’d even spoken a word to her. And yet… he was still kind. Still flirted and joked and treated her as any other woman. Todd couldn’t deny that she was attracted to him. He was a gorgeous specimen of a man, and his mind and heart were just as beautiful. 

The barista called her name before Steve had replied, and Todd grabbed up the order and left the shop. Her phone buzzed in her purse not long after she’d stepped out onto the cramped sidewalk. The drink carriers in her hands kept her from checking it until she’d returned to the office and handed out everyone’s order. Slumping onto her chair at her desk she fished her phone out. She took a sip of her latte before unlocking the thing and checking his reply. 

/I’d liked to take my friend to an art show, and perhaps see if there could be more between us. But I’m not going to push you into something you don’t want./ Todd blinked at his reply before a slow smile lifted her lips. So he wanted to see if there was something more between them. The only thing that stopped her from squealing like a little girl was her boss knocking on the half-open door to her office. Swallowing all of her excitement down, she returned to work. There was a bounce in her step for the rest of the day, and she caught herself grinning like a loon several times. 

She had a date. A real date. 

Todd had been cleaning up and getting ready to head home when a sudden realization hit her that burst the happy bubble she’d been riding that day. Scooping her phone off her desk, she tapped out a text to Steve before she put it away. 

/This art show? Do I need a dress for it?/ She hit send and finished packing up. Her phone chirped at her just as she was locking her office door for the day. Swiping across the screen, she unlocked her phone and stared in horror at the reply.

/The invite said black tie, so I’ll be in a tux. Does that help? I have no idea if that helps.../

Black tie? She didn’t have anything to wear to a black tie event! 

***

Todd fretted over the dress for three whole days. The art show was looming on her calendar, a constant reminder that she was running out of time. And every day she spent frantically sifting through catalogs and racks on stores, anywhere that could possibly have something in her size in the time constraint, had her heart twisting up tighter and tighter. She wanted this to work with Steve. Their interactions hadn’t changed at all since he’d asked her out. They still flirted like crazy, still texted every day if possible. The only difference was that Steve was now gushing about how he couldn’t wait to see her again. 

They texted every day, called each other every couple of days, and had spent one memorable day sending a flurry of selfies back and forth between them. Todd now knew exactly what he looked like without a shirt on, that he wore Hanes boxer briefs, and that Under Armour was his favorite designer of all things clothing. Steve knew that she had a rose tattooed on her hip, that she had an original war bonds poster on her living room wall, and that she took a bath with a bath bomb at least twice a week. That war bonds poster was one of her prized possessions, and she’d spent a small fortune on it because it was his actual signature scrawled across it. She’d snapped a picture and sent it to him; he’d confirmed it was his. 

Yet through all of that, they hadn’t seen each other in person since that first time in the coffee shop. Todd didn’t quite understand it, why he wasn’t pushing to see her in person again. But she wasn’t going to let that ruin this. She knew him well enough to know he had a reason for it. She suspected it was so that the world wouldn’t connect her to him, or that he didn’t want his team too close. There was a moment where she thought he was ashamed to be seen with her, but she’d slapped that part of herself with a rolled up newspaper. She could still see the look on his face, hear the fear in his voice when he’d spoken of the UN’s plans. He was just worried about her. 

At that moment though, she wasn’t thinking about any of it. She was striding down the street. It was early afternoon, the sidewalks starting to clear of the lunch rush. She’d begged off the rest of the day from work, claiming a headache that she didn’t really have. She only felt a little bad when Greg waved her away. 

Planning on hitting up the little boutique that sat a couple of blocks from her apartment, she was beelining it to the Subway station. She needed to find a damn dress. 

A flash of matte gold caught her attention and she stopped so suddenly that a man nearly knocked her over when he ran into her. Apologizing, she waited until he disappeared around the corner at the end of the block to turn back to the window display in front of her. She’d passed the little thrift store many a time, hadn’t really seen anything to pique her interest in the window, so hadn’t bothered to go in. But now… They’d changed up the display.

Grinning a wolfish grin, Todd pushed her way into the dimly lit shop. The cool air was nice after the sticky heat of outside, and she shivered as it wicked the sweat away from her skin. The older man who was sitting behind the counter welcomed her and they began to discuss the dress in the window. It didn’t take long before he’d hobbled to the window with his cane, carefully removed the dress from the mannequin and handed it to her. Before Todd knew it she was in the dressing room, staring slack-jawed at herself in the full-length mirror. Even in her t-shirt bra and no heels, she looked good. She looked damn good. 

Steve was gonna swallow his tongue when he saw her. Changing back into her jeans and the POW/MIA shirt she’d worn that day to work, Todd left the room. 

“I’ll take it.” She said, not able to wipe the grin from her face. There were still the stockings to find and the shoes, but those weren’t as hard as the dress. The owner of the shop rung her up, carefully wrapped the velvet dress in tissue paper and placed it in a bag for her. 

“You’re boy’s not gonna know what hit him, Miss! You have a good time with him, wherever he’s taking you.” Todd grinned that predatory grin once more, and the old man returned it. She liked him. 

“If the dress doesn’t get him, the seamed stockings will.” She said in a conspiratorial tone, winking at the man as he chortled. Maybe if she hurried, she could hit that little lingerie shop she liked so much before they closed. They had the stockings. 

Feeling lighter than she had in days, Todd left the shop. Steve was gonna lose his mind when he saw her in that dress. Just like she was liable to short circuit at the tux he’d said he was gonna be wearing. She had a weakness for a finely dressed man.

***

Steve glared at the torn jacket in his hands. The art show was in a couple of days, and he’d pulled his tux out of the back of his closet. Figured he’d make sure it still fit and let it air out before the night of. What he hadn’t expected was the ten extra pounds of muscle he’d put on since he’d joined the Avengers full time. With everything going on with Bucky and Ultron, Steve had spent a significant amount of time in the gym burning off his aggression. It translated into more muscle and a tux jacket that had finally given up. 

Frustrated at the torn seam, Steve tossed the jacket onto his bed and went in search of his sewing kit. He wouldn’t be able to wear it to the art show, the torn seam was enough to tell him that, but he’d at least fix it and donate it to Goodwill or something. But it also meant that he had only until Friday to find another tux to wear. 

This one had been among the things that SHIELD had given him when he’d first come out of the ice, told that he would need it in the future. That had been more than two years ago. Grumbling to himself the entire time, Steve flopped down in a chair in the living room with the jacket and threaded a needle with black thread. At least he didn’t have to worry about matching thread to fabric. 

“FRIDAY? Please call Ms. Potts.” Steve asked as he set to work repairing the seam down the center of the jacket with a perfectly even blind stitch. His mama had been insistent that he know how to darn socks and fix a seam, no matter the type. It was one of the reasons that he had such a well-stocked sewing kit in the linen closet, and why he was so grumpy about having to get a new tux. 

“Steven, darling. What can I do for you today?” Pepper’s voice filled his quiet living room and he glanced up to find her face displayed on his television. Smiling, knowing that she’d be able to see him through the small camera embedded in the television, Steve held up his jacket. 

“I’m going to that charity art show this weekend. I pulled out my tux to air and try it on. The seam down the back of the jacket gave out. I need a new one. Do you know anywhere that can get one tailored by Friday?” Steve asked, going back to his stitches. He knew that she was probably staring at what he was doing. Unbeknownst to him, Pepper was, in fact, staring at his chest where his undershirt was pulled taut over his pecks. When she’d been quiet for too long, he glanced up again and found her blushing lightly. 

“Where did you learn how to sew?” She blurted and the blush on her cheeks darkened. Steve smiled at her and went back to his stitches. 

“My mama. We didn’t have much money, so she made sure that I could fix my clothes if they got torn. Only ever threw ‘em out if they were so thin you could see through ‘em.” Steve said. He heard Pepper hum, and then he heard the sound of her typing. He was a little envious when he looked up because she wasn’t looking at her hands. He knew he’d get there eventually, but he still had to stare at his hands when he typed. 

“It looks like Tony’s tailor has an available appointment for this afternoon, I’ve booked it for you and sent you the information for the location for his shop. He’ll take good care of you.” Pepper said a brilliant smile on her face which Steve returned. He liked Pepper. She reminded him of Peggy, a sweet smile and a spine of vibranium. She was as unflappable as he’d ever seen in any person. 

“Thank you, Pepper. I really appreciate it.” Steve said, even as he tugged gently on the thread. He watched as the stitches closed up until the seam looked as if it had never torn. Tying it off carefully, he used the needle to tuck the ends into the seam. Once he was sure that the fix would hold, stabbed his needle into the pincushion resting on the arm of the chair he was in. 

“Do you know what your date will be wearing?” Pepper asked. He knew it shouldn’t have startled him as much as it did, but his head whipped up to stare at her with wide eyes. And he knew instantly that he’d been set up. The look on her face told him that she’d waited until the best possible moment to ask that question to gauge his reaction. Huffing, feeling only a little irritation at her, Steve turned the jacket inside out. 

“I don’t know what she’s wearing. Though she did ask. Told her the invite said it was black tie, so I’d be wearing a tux.” Steve said, checking the seam on the lining of the jacket. It seemed fine, so he tossed the jacket onto the coffee table and went about putting away his sewing things. 

“Hmmm…. Are you picking her up?” She asked, sitting back in her chair. Steve set his sewing kit to the side and leaned back into his own chair. He studied Pepper for several long moments as he weighed telling her anything. More than likely Natasha was standing just off camera listening to everything. He was worried that they would find Todd. Which hurt, because he should be able to trust these people with that information. And he wanted to show Todd off, wanted to gush and gloat about the wonderful woman he’d met so unexpectedly.

Opening his mouth to answer her question, he snapped it closed when that creeping sensation filled his skull again. Telling him to hold his tongue. 

“I am. I’m sorry, Pepper. But I should go. I have a few errands to run before my appointment with the tailor. Thank you for your help.” He said it all with as brilliant a smile as he could muster. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he wasn’t going to talk to her about Todd. There was too much going on that he didn’t have answers to. When Todd had told him about her conversation with her mother, she’d been pretty clear that he mother wasn’t going to tell them what she was up to. Until he knew more, he wasn’t going to include Pepper or anyone else in the matter. He felt bad enough already dragging Sam into it. Nemain was not one to fuck around with. 

“Of course, Steve. I hope he can help you, and I hope you have a good time at the art show.” He could see that her smile wasn’t as bright as it had been, and that dropped more guilt into his belly. But he knew it was for her own good, so he didn’t try to correct himself. 

“Thank you. I’ll talk with you again soon Pepper.” Steve said. The next moment the television had gone blank and his phone was vibrating in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw the information for his appointment waiting for him from Pepper. As well as a text from Todd. 

/Found my dress. Better gird your loins, Soldier, it’s gonna knock your socks off./ Steve grinned at that, rolling his eyes at her calling him ‘Soldier’. 

Steve put his things away, then got dressed again. He was a little embarrassed to realize that he’d been in his briefs and undershirt while talking with Pepper. Waving it away, he placed the tux back into its garment bag. Grabbing it, along with his wallet he headed down to the garage. He’d stop at Goodwill and give them the tux before he went to the tailor. 


	6. Chapter 6

 

Steve sighed as soon as he stepped under the hot spray of water. The heat felt divine against his back. It had been a long couple of days, that was for sure. Everything on the Avengers front had been quiet, leaving him wound up tighter than a spring as he waited for the other shoe to drop. He hadn’t wanted to go on a mission with his date coming up, and it had left him tense and cranky. Brought up too many memories that he’d wanted to leave buried. To avoid snapping at everyone around him, he’d taken a trip up to the new compound to check it out. 

He wasn’t particularly happy about SHIELD effectively being revived to be housed there, but he couldn’t fault Tony for his logic. They needed support staff. The Avengers were needed to handle the big crises. SHIELD was there to back them up. He could see the logic, but he didn’t like it. It wasn’t even that HYDRA had been so ingrained in SHIELD that he’d had to take both down; it was the fact that the higher-ups at SHIELD had honestly thought that Insight had been a good idea. Same thinking as Tony with Ultra, same ending. 

It had been nice to Darcy, Jane, and Selvig again. They were good people, and Darcy was always willing to help him with some pop culture reference or explain some meme to him that he’d missed. Maria had a stack of personnel files for him to look over so that he’d be familiar with some of the new faces wandering around the compound. 

He’d just gotten back about an hour ago, just enough time to unpack his overnight bag and start a load of laundry. He was due to pick Todd up at six. The art show didn’t start until eight, but the invite had said there would be canapes and drinks. They were going to have dinner before they went. 

Sam’s voice from the other side of the partial wall of the shower startled Steve so bad that he bobbled his bottle of shampoo. It landed with a thunk on the stone floor under him and a large amount splattered out. 

“You really are hopeless! Couldn’t just tell her yes you were asking her out!?” Sam called. It made Steve’s skin prickle. The little bastard was messing around with his phone where he’d left it on the counter. Snatching up the bottle on the floor, Steve leaned around the wall separating the bathroom and glared at Sam. Yep, he had Steve’s phone in his hands. If it had been anyone other than Sam doing it, they would have eaten Steve’s fist, but his relationship with Sam was different. As close to what he and Bucky had had to make no difference. Bucky would have done the exact same thing. 

“Samuel Thomas Wilson! Put my phone down now!” Steve snarled, gripping the wall so that he didn’t fall over and flash Sam. He felt a lovely sense of wicked satisfaction when Sam’s head snapped up to gape at him. The other man recovered from his shock quickly, however. 

“Ooo! Three naming me, Cap? I know it’s serious now. What are you hiding?” Sam asked, a smirk on his face as he went back to the phone and began to scroll. Steve snarled again and snagged his towel. Jerking it around his hips he stormed over to Sam and snatched the phone of his hands. A quick glance at the screen showed that Sam hadn’t gotten to the selfie that Todd had sent that Steve was so worried Sam would see. It had been a lovely picture of her smooth creamy legs peeking out of the bubbles of her bathwater. He wanted to lick the rose tattooed on her hip. 

“Do not make me call your Nana, Sam! How big of a chewing out would you get when she learned you’d been digging through someone else’ phone?” Steve asked. He opened his medicine cabinet and pulled out the small lock box inside it. Pressing his thumb to the biometric lock on the box, he tossed his phone in with the tub of numbing cream and the bottle of morphine he kept in there. All of it had been created by Bruce and Dr. Cho to overcome his metabolism and he was leery of leaving it out where anyone could get their hands on it. He trusted the few people who had access to his apartment at the tower, but he wasn’t going to risk them getting hurt. 

Sam was still gaping at him when Steve closed the box and turned back to his shower. 

“Ha! You don’t have her number, Steve. And I sure as hell ain’t giving it to you!” Sam called. Steve hung his towel back up on the hook just inside the walk-in shower. Squirting a handful of shampoo into his hands he went about getting clean once more. 

“I do have it. How else would I have her banana nut cookie recipe?” Steve called, tipping his head back to let the hot water rinse away the soap in his hair. From the other side of the wall, he could hear Sam splutter out an affronted noise. 

“She gave you her recipe!? Damnit, Steve! I’ve been trying pry that recipe out of her hands for years!” Sam cried. Grumbling, Steve heard him leave the room. He knew that he’d be waiting for him after his shower, but it didn’t matter. There was a bubble of excitement and anticipation growing in his belly. 

Freezing, Steve suddenly understood. Sam had been joking with him, breaking the tension and anxiety that had been trying to surface with his date looming. Chuckling, knowing he’d been played, Steve went back to his shower. 

By the time he’d finished his shower, the mirror was fogged up and Steve was feeling a little wobbly on his legs. He’d taken the opportunity to take himself in hand while he was in the shower, letting the picture of that rose fill his mind as it wandered. Steve had had to clamp a hand over his mouth as his orgasm rocked through his body to keep from shouting Todd’s name. He felt a little guilty about fantasizing about her, but he told himself to get over it. If tonight went the way he wanted it to, she’d be screaming his name soon enough. 

Steve used a hand towel to wipe the mirror clear of fog. Grabbing the tube of gel that Natasha had given him, he rubbed it into his hair. It didn’t take long to style it the way that he liked. Brushing his teeth and rinsing with mouthwash, Steve left the bathroom to find Sam in his bedroom. The other man had laid out Steve’s new suit and was sitting in the chair in the corner polishing his black loafers. 

“Thanks, Sam,” Steve said, digging into his drawer to find an undershirt and briefs. Stepping back into the bathroom, he drew them on and left his towel in the hamper. Grabbing his socks and the garters he used to keep them up out of his drawer he sat on the bed to pull them on. 

“Gotta help my friend look good for his date, Steve. And I wanted to tell you that I’m glad you did ask her out. I can see how excited you are. It looks good on you.” Sam said, rubbing a cloth over one of the shoes before dropping it on the floor next to the other one. Steve smiled at Sam as he clipped the last clip onto his socks and stood. Sam stood as well, slapped him on the shoulder and left. 

Shaking his head, Steve grabbed the pants. It was weird. He was actually happy, for pretty much the first time since he’d come out of the ice he was happy. There was still so much going on that got under his skin. A lot of resentment and anger toward the government and Tony for what they were doing. But at least this little piece of his life seemed to be working out well. 

***

Todd sat at her vanity table, slicking on her lipstick when the doorbell buzzed. Glancing at the clock on her night table she found that it had taken a little longer to get ready than she thought. That must be Steve because it was six exactly. Grinning, excitement bubbling in her belly, she bounced to her feet and went to buzz him into the building. 

Reaching the intercom she pressed the button. 

“Steve? That you?” She asked into the mic. His voice crackled a little through the shitty speaker, but it still had heat joining the bubbles. 

“Yeah, Todd. You gonna let me in?” She could hear the smile in his voice. She was quick to press the button that would do just that, and when she figured he’d had enough time, she turned back to her room to finish getting ready. She was standing in the entryway fluffing her hair in the mirror that hung there when he knocked on her door. Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, that predatory grin appeared on her face. 

The dress was a deep gold velvet. The straight neckline left her shoulders bare, but the sleeves reached her wrists. The fabric clung to every curve, ending just below her knees. Even without a slit in the back, the dress was stretchy enough that she had the freedom to walk easily. By some miracle, it was thick enough that the garter belt she had on under it didn’t leave a bulge in the fabric. Her shoes were her absolute favorite pair. Four-inch heels, deep blue, they sparkled in the low light. They matched the clutch waiting on the side table. 

She’d put rollers in her hair as soon as she’d stepped out of her shower, and now it tumbled down over her shoulders in gentle curls. She’d even used some of the brightly colored cream in it so that her silvery dyed hair had streaks of pale blue and purple running through the curls. 

Even her makeup was exactly how she’d wanted it. Cateyes with a brush of sparkling gold eyeshadow had her brown eyes glowing, and a deep matte lipstick that hinted more toward purple than red. 

Her only jewelry was the gold chandelier earrings. She’d even left her neck bare, feeling that the earrings and a necklace would have been too much. 

Smoothing her hands over her hips, Todd turned back to the door. Opening it she felt her eyes bug out at the image in front of her. 

Steve was standing there with a single rose wrapped in shimmery gold paper, red edging the yellow petals. His suit was a deep blue, hanging from his shoulders in a way that showed it had been tailored for him. There wasn’t a place on the double-breasted jacket that strained over his bulk. The crisp white shirt nearly glowed at his throat around the black tie. His black shoes shone with a high polish in the dim lights of the hallway. He’d even gelled his hair. 

Dark scruff lined his face, showing he hadn’t shaved that day. It gave him a rugged appearance that made him look more human. Offset the perfection of the buttery soft silk suit. 

She wanted to run her hands over all that silk, wondered if she could feel his body heat through all those layers. The soft scent of his cologne reached her nose and she had to swallow hard to keep from moaning. Subtle and musky, it sent a coil of lust through her. 

When she could finally breathe steadily, she looked up at his face and couldn’t help but giggle. His eyes were wide, his jaw slack as he took her all in.

“Wow…” His voice was like gravel, dark and husky as he raked his eyes back up to her face. Todd grinned slowly, looking him over through hooded eyes as she cocked her hip. She watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. 

“Like what you see, Soldier?” She asked, letting her voice drop an octave. His nostrils flared as he sucked in a quick breath. At least she knew he was as affected as she was. The thin lace panties she had on were damp already, and all he’d done was show up in a suit. She had a kink, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit it. 

Steve’s eyes finally met hers, and she had to catch her breath because they were dark with lust. The bright blue deepening to something closer to cobalt, the pupils blown out. They blazed in his face. One side of his mouth tipped up in a cheeky grin as he offered her the rose. 

“Damn, Baby Doll, are you trying to knock me off?” Todd blinked at the heavy Brooklyn accent, but accepted the rose and stepped aside to let him come in. His bulk made the entryway seem too small after the door closed behind him. But Todd reveled in it for a moment before moving off to the open-air kitchen. Steve followed her, but only far enough to stand in front of her poster and glare at it. 

Pulling a bud vase out of the cupboard, Todd filled it with water and placed the rose in it. When she turned to place the rose on the coffee table she found him there. Arms crossed, head tipped back just enough to see the poster, feet spread shoulder-width apart. Her hands itched to draw him like that, to capture the arch of his nose, and the line of his back. Locking the image in her mind, she swore she’d do that later. 

For now, she snickered at the glower he sent her way when she settled the rose on the coffee table. Stepping up to stand at his side, she was only a little surprised to see that she was only a couple of inches shorter than him in her heels. 

“I can’t believe you have this thing hung up in your living room.” He said, motioning to the framed poster. Todd shifted her weight to the other foot, swaying into him just a little when his arms dropped to his sides. The heat of him burned across her back when he slung his arm around her waist to palm her hip. Turning just a little into him, Steve mirrored her until their lips were only inches apart. 

“I had a crush on your in high school. The strength and stubbornness to do everything you did back then. That unflappable moral compass that drove you. When I got the chance to get that, I jumped at it. A reminder of all the things that I loved about you, hanging on my wall.” Todd motioned to the poster, even as she hooked two fingers into the pocket of his pants, dragging him that hairs breath closer. 

A blush darkened his cheeks, but that same dark look came back to his eyes. He certainly lusted after her. She could feel it welling up around him, sweetening the aura that pulsed between them. It made her hungry, and that was enough to have her slipping away from him to pace toward the door. 

She hadn’t gotten more than a few steps before his hand caught her wrist and made her stop. 

“Hey, Baby Doll, what’s wrong?” Steve asked. He moved around her to stand in front of her. He didn’t let go of her wrist, only reached up to gently cup the side of her neck with the other. Ever so gentle so he didn’t tug on her earring or smudge her makeup. 

Todd looked into his eyes and sighed softly. Her free hand came up to finally stroke over all that beautiful blue silk. 

“You remember when I told you about my powers? About how I fed off strong emotions?” She licked her lips, trying to moisten suddenly dry lips. This was the point where he’d start to fear her, like everyone but Mac ever had. But Mac was one kinky mother fucker and wasn’t interested in a relationship with her anyway. 

“I remember. What’s that got to do with anything?” Concern and confusion filled his face and she was happy to see his face so open with her. When they’d been sitting across the table from each other in the coffee shop it had been so hard to read what was going on with him. Now he was an open book. 

“I meant it, Steve. I feed on emotions. I still need to eat normal food, but if I don’t feed in the other way regularly I get sick. Weak.” She dropped her eyes to where her hand was petting at his jacket. It was as buttery soft and smooth as she’d thought it would be, and yes, she could feel his body heat even through all those layers. He radiated heat like a small furnace, making her want to melt into that heat and just wallow. 

“Okay. Not what I thought when you said that, but if you think it’s put me off, Doll, then you’re wrong.” Steve said it like it meant nothing. Like it was no big deal that he’d just heard the biggest secret she had about her abilities and it wasn’t anything at all. Todd’s eyes snapped back up to his and she stared for a long time. Searched his face and aura for deceit. But it wasn’t there in his open face or in the swirling, pounding energy that brushed against her. 

Breathing hard, Todd took a step forward, her foot landing between his braced ones, and kissed him. Gentle and almost chaste, she brushed her lips against his. Steve returned the kiss in kind, his hand delving under her mass of curls to cup the back of her neck, hold her to him. His other hand shifted until his fingers slid between her own. When they broke apart he leaned his forehead against her. 

A bubble of quiet held them as their breaths mingled and their hearts pounded against each other. Todd licked her lips, the taste of his buzzing over her tongue as she tried to catch her breath. 

“You’re the first person to ever just accept that.” She whispered, her eyes still closed as she leaned into his warmth. His thumb stroked over the side of hers slowly, even as his hand on her neck flexed just a little. 

“I’ve got questions, but I’m not gonna walk away just because you have certain needs.” That voice was back, that deep husky tone to it that did interesting things to her belly. 

Todd tilted her head again, searching out his lips without opening her eyes. He leaned into her, but before they could do more than brush their lips together his stomach growled like an angry dog. They pulled away from each other, both of them looking down at his stomach. A blush heated his cheeks again and Todd couldn’t hold in her giggle. 

“I think we should go. Didn’t you say something about dinner before the show?” Todd asked, tucking the tips of her fingers into his breast pocket. The black pocket square was an even softer silk than the jacket. 

“I did say we’d go to dinner first.” Steve sighed heavily as he said it. Todd squeezed his hand, offering him a smile when he looked up at her. 

“I got all dressed up for you, Soldier. You’d best take me out on the town.” Todd said, batting her lashes at him. Steve chuckled and shook his head before leaning in to lay a soft kiss on her lips again. 

“Then I’d best, huh? No matter how much I wanna tumble you into your bed.” Pulling away, he moved toward the door. Only to have Todd giggle and pull on his hand. 

“I think you’re wearing more of my lipstick than I am right now. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up, then we can go.” She said it even as her insides turned to molten sticky heat. He wanted to tumble her. Well, wasn’t that something. As Todd took a wet wipe to his face and then slicked on more of her lipstick while he watched, she couldn’t help but grin. There was definitely something more between them than just friendship. 


	7. Chapter 7

Todd knew that Steve would want to take her to a nice restaurant, somewhere with candles and mood music. She had other thoughts on the matter. They’d come out of her building arm in arm, only to have Todd pull up short at the car waiting at the curb. 

She recognized it in an instant because it was Mac’s dream car, a car that he gushed over at length. A 2008 Tesla Roadster in gleaming silver. Todd turned wide eyes on Steve, who pulled the keys out of his pocket, returning her grin. 

“It’s Tony’s. He insisted I take it, said it was only right to impress my date.” Todd just managed to see a blush creeping over his cheeks in the dying light of twilight. The sun wouldn’t set completely for some hours yet, not with it being June. But the tall buildings around them had them in deep shadows well before true sunset. 

“Did you tell him you didn’t need to impress me?” Todd asked, reaching over and plucking the keys out of his hand. He made an affronted noise and tried to take them back, but she held the hand they were in behind her back and stepped into him. His eyes dropped and she heard him swallow convulsively. There was just a little bit of a gap in the neckline of her dress, enough that he could now see the pale blue lace of her bra. 

“I… I tried. But he does this thing with his hand. Shows his Italian upbringing.” Steve stuttered over his words. His eyes were locked on that bit of pale blue framed by olive skin and velvet. Todd shivered at the sound of his voice, strangled and husky. After several seconds he finally tore his eyes away to look into her own. She knew there was a grin on her face because a slow one graced his. She couldn’t see his eyes well enough to see if they’d darkened with lust again, but the bulge pressing into her hip was enough to know he’d been affected. 

“Let me drive, Soldier. Please?” She asked. She didn’t press into him, didn’t grind against that bulge like she wanted to. It was a close thing, however. 

“Tony would kill me if he found out,” Steve said, his hand sliding over her hip. Todd laughed wickedly and slipped out of his hold, dancing away to stand next to the car. She dangled the keys from one finger, her other hand propped on her hip. He hadn’t fooled her with that move, not for one second. 

Steve looked her over again, in her dress and heels. She could feel the heat of that gaze on her skin as if the velvet wasn’t there at all. She could taste his lust on her tongue, sweet and thick like mulled wine. Todd knew better than to try and convince him. If he said no, that would be the end of it. She’d hand over the keys and slide into the passenger seat. 

“You’re trouble, aren’t you, Baby Doll?” Steve asked. Todd had to catch her breath again when he strutted his way toward her. He moved like a man who was going to eat her alive. A rolling gate that left him perfectly balanced. It had desire throbbing through her core, the lace of her panties dampening further. This time it was him who stepped into her space, his hand lifting to cup her jaw. The metal of her earring was cool compared to the heat of his hand. The barely there touch gentle to keep from tugging on it. 

Todd got lost in the soft brush of his lips to hers. Steve kissed her long and slow, drifting between sweetly pressing his lips to hers and thoroughly kissing the hell out of her. She lost track of the moment and lost track of his hands until she felt his palms against her hips. Even in the warm summer air, his skin burned against hers, fingertips pressed gently against her thigh.

He tasted of mulled wine and mint. Of lust and sex. It thoroughly muddled her mind to the point that when a cool breeze brushed against her thigh she startled. He’d rucked the hem of her dress up high enough that the lace at the top of her stockings was bare to the world. Jerking away from his lips, she glared at him. 

In his hands were the keys to the car. 

“Tricksie Soldier.” She muttered, even as she grinned at him. He returned the grin, his smug, as he stepped away from her. She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as he clicked the button on the fob that unlocked the car. But the pout soon faded when he opened the driver’s side door and motioned her in. 

“What about Stark?” She asked, looking between him and the open door. 

“He’ll get over it.” Todd barked out a laugh, even as she snagged the keys from him a second time and slid into the dark interior of the car. The door clicked closed behind her and she watched him pass around in front of the hood. Dropping her clutch into the center console, she slid the key into the ignition and shivered just a little at the engine roared to life. By the time Steve was in the car and his belt buckled she’d done the same and was pulling away from the curb. 

The car handled like a dream. Incredibly responsive as she wove through the early evening traffic. Steve tried to direct her to the restaurant, but she only shook her head. 

“I’m in the mood for something specific, Steve. And I think you’ll enjoy it too.” She looked away from the road only long enough to grin at him. He huffed a little, but he just leaned back in the seat. Pulling his phone from his inside jacket pocket he sent off a text to cancel his reservation. 

It didn’t take them long to pass over the bridge into Manhattan, and before Steve knew it they were pulling into the parking lot of a place he hadn’t thought was still around. He was staring in undisguised shock at the Steak and Shake in front of him when Todd killed the engine. 

“I haven’t had a steak burger since 1942. I didn’t know they were even still around!” Steve said, turning a grin to Todd. She only laughed, reaching for her seat belt. Steve rushed out of the car and had her door open before she could even drop the keys to the car into her clutch. Smiling at his manners, a girl does like to feel pampered on occasion, she took his hand to let him help her out of the car. Her heels made her pull harder on him then she thought she would, but his arm didn’t even seem to strain with the effort. It sent a bolt of desire through her. 

They got a few looks, but no one commented on the state of their dress as they waited in line to order. Todd was a little worried that people would swarm Steve, but it looked like everyone was more interested in their food than an autograph from Captain America. The teenager behind the counter stared at Steve for several seconds and Todd couldn’t blame her. She’d done her own staring when she’d opened her door to all that gorgeous blue silk. The girl blushed scarlet when she was able to finally tear her eyes away from Steve, but Todd only gave her a knowing smile and squeezed Steve’s arm. He’d offered her his arm when they’d gotten out of the car, and she couldn’t help but take it. 

After they’d placed their order. A double cheese with bacon and a chocolate chip cookie dough shake for Todd, and a signature steak burger with bacon and grilled onions and strawberry shake for Steve, an extra large order of cheesy fries to share, they turned to find a table. The place was slammed, but there was a booth in the corner that no one was bothering to sit at. It was piled high with garbage from the last customer, and even though Steve muttered a few choice words about them under his breath, he cleared the garbage away. A worker came over with a damp cloth and wiped down the table quickly for them before being called away by another customer. 

Steve took his jacket off and laid in the seat of the booth, but before he could sit, Todd dragged him down to sit next to her. It was a tight fit with the breadth of his shoulders, but Todd poked and prodded till he slung his arm over the back of the seat. Almost as soon as she’d settled back against that line of burning heat, his fingers lifted to play with her earring. 

She had to admit that he looked damn good at that moment. His long legs stretched out under the table, crossed at the ankle. One hand on the table over his phone, the other around her shoulders. His face relaxed and open, a soft smile playing on his lips. Without thinking about it, Todd’s hand dropped to his thigh, running her nails over the smooth silk where it pulled snug over the muscles of his thigh. His eyes flicked down to it, but he didn’t make her move it. Instead, he stopped playing with her earring and began to run just the tips of his fingers over her bare shoulder. 

“I guess we can safely say that there is definitely something more than friendship between us.” Todd murmured, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. Pink filled his cheeks, but the smile turned a little wicked on his plush lips. 

“Guess so,” Steve said. Todd’s eyes dropped to his lips when his tongue flicked out to wet them. She was suddenly glad she’d remembered to bring her lipstick with her. She had a feeling that he’d be wearing more of it before the night was done. 

Steve had just opened his mouth to say something when she flicked her eyes passed him to the waiter making a beeline to them. He turned his head and grinned. The waiter had their milkshakes and a plate piled high with cheesy fries. The waiter’s name tag read Matt, and Steve thanked him by name when the man sat the food in front of them. Matt smiled shyly and nodded before leaving. 

Todd thought that Steve would move his arm, but he just kept up the light brushing strokes over her bare skin as he used his other hand to snag a fry from the plate and pop it into his mouth. When Todd made to do the same, he waved her off. 

“Still hot.” He muttered around the fry in his mouth, chewing quickly and swallowing. Todd giggled at him but grabbed a fry anyway. It was still hot, but the heat didn’t affect her the way it did others. When Steve set his shakedown again and goggled at her, she simply shrugged. 

“Demi-god, remember. Heat’s never been an issue.” Todd said, popping another fry into her mouth before taking a drink of her shake. Humming at the flavor, she watched him process that information. His face didn’t exactly close down, but a contemplative look took it over. His mind was racing, and Todd wondered for a brief moment if he regretted getting mixed up with a freak like her. 

“When you say you feed on emotions, what do you mean?” He asked. Todd took a deep breath and ate another fry as she thought. Steve was eyeing the plate of food again but was erring on the side of caution when it came to the temp. 

This was it, this was where she’d know if he could handle everything about her or not. Taking a drink of her shake to wash down the fry, she turned in the booth a little so she could look directly at him. 

“I don’t… feed on emotions exactly. I feed on the chi of a person. I can’t access it unless they’re feeling an emotion though. It’s got to be something strong, like fear, or lust, or happiness. You know what chi is right?” She asked, watching his face closely. Anxiety was causing her heart to pound in her chest. If tonight had told her anything, it was that she really liked Steve and she didn’t want to lose him. But if he couldn’t accept this part of her she would walk away from him here. Call an Uber and go home. She didn’t think he’d ever tell anyone about her, not when he’d tracked her down to warn her to stay hidden. He was her friend, though, and she was worried this was what would drive him away. 

“Yeah. It’s a person’s life force. The energy that runs through all living things. The Chinese and Buddhists call it Qi.” Steve said. When she’d turned to face him, he’d dropped his hand back to the seat, but he lifted it again to finger a curl. Todd relaxed just a little bit under the touch. He wasn’t running yet. 

“Before you ask when I feed I don’t steal their life. I don’t take years off of it, or anything like that. Chi naturally regenerates over time for most people. Mine doesn’t. My mother says it’s the price I pay for being part god. Says that’s why I have abilities similar to a succubus.” Todd said, carefully reaching out to play with a belt loop on his pants. Steve cocked his head to the side and studied her for a moment before speaking again. 

“Isn’t succubi a Christian demon?” He asked. Sighing, Todd dropped her eyes to her hand at his hip. A soft tug on the curl that he was playing withdrew them back up to his face. 

“Todd, Baby Doll. I’m not gonna run. You’re not freaking me out. I’m just curious.” He murmured it softly. She studied his face again, but could only find acceptance and tenderness in it. 

Before she could reply the waiter from before came with their food. Steve turned his head and smiled at him. Todd took the opportunity to try and slow her heart rate. It wasn’t just his gentle words or even the subject of conversation that had her heart kicking. That little tug on her hair had done interesting things to her. This man was affecting her in ways that no one else ever had. She’d never been so insanely attracted to a man before in her life.

“Thank you, Matt,” Steve said. The other man blushed just a little and after he’d set the tray down with their burgers he stood awkwardly. Steve simply waited him out, the smile never fading on his face. Finally, Matt reached into his apron for a pad of paper and a pen. 

“I’m a huge fan. I’m sorry about this, I know you’re on a date…” Matt whispered, using his body to shield what he was doing from the rest of the customers. The people at the tables around them were too interested in their food to notice what was happening though. Steve only chuckled and pulled his arm from around Todd to take the offered notepad. He was quick to sign the pad, making it out to Matt before handing it back. 

“It’s okay. Though I’m not up for doing that for a lot of people, so if you could keep quiet about it?” Steve asked. Matt nodded vigorously and tucked the notebook back into his apron. 

“Enjoy your food, and I hope you have a good night. Thank you.” Matt said. Before Steve could reply he’d scurried off. Steve shook his head and turned back to Todd, sliding his arm back around her shoulders. Todd smiled at him, reaching up to brush the back of her fingers over his scruffy jaw. 

“You’ve a soft heart, Steve.” She said. Steve only blushed a little. Carefully lifting his burger with his free hand, Steve leaned over the table to take a bite of it. Todd had to swallow hard at the moan he let out as he chewed. She followed his example and tucked into her own burger. 

They ate in silence, focusing on eating. Todd knew that the conversation wasn’t over, but she also knew that Steve was hungry. His stomach had been growling almost constantly since they’d settled at the table. Even as he tucked into his food with military precision and speed, he never took his arm from around her shoulders. She knew it had to make him eating more difficult, but she couldn’t bring herself to make him move it. The heat of it felt good in the chilly restaurant. She almost regretted not grabbing her black lace shawl before they left her apartment. 

Todd had just finished her burger when Steve leaned back away from the table once more. He used a napkin to wipe his mouth, making sure that nothing was left in the stubble on his face. She watched out of the corner of her eye as he crumpled the paper napkin up in his hand, but didn’t let go of it. She wondered what he could do with those artist’s hands. She took a hasty drink of her half-melted shake to wet a suddenly dry throat. 

“So. Succubus. I thought that was a strictly Christian demon. The only thing that comes close is the Siren, which is in a lot of different cultures.” Steve said. Todd sighed but set her shake down. 

“Yes, succubi and incubi were originally Christian demons. But they’ve made their way into pop culture, so it’s easier to say that my powers are similar to them. The truth of the matter is that my offensive power is manipulation of emotions. I can make other people feel them, like the terror that I used in the parking garage. But I can also make others feel lust, sadness, even happiness. I don’t use that power unless I absolutely have to, because it drains my chi.” Todd said, keeping her voice down. When she glanced at Steve he was looking at the group of teenagers two booths over. They were whispering to each other and one of them pointed toward Steve. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Steve said, not taking his eyes off the kids. Todd nodded, slurping down the last of her shake and grabbed up her clutch. Steve slid out of the booth and offered her his hand. She smiled and took it, letting him pull her to her feet. He slipped back into his jacket and grabbed his phone while she gathered the garbage onto the tray. Once she’d dump it into the trash, leaving the tray on the stack of them, Steve offered her his arm and then held the door open for her.

“You’ve explained your offensive powers, and I remember the feel of them. Impressive, by the way. Don’t think I’ve ever been that scared in my life.” Steve said as they walked across the parking lot toward the Tesla. Todd squeezed his arm, and he smiled at her. “No worries, Baby Doll. I’m glad you can defend yourself.” 

“The other isn’t really a power per say. Like I said, I feed on chi. When you feel an emotion strongly your chi fluctuates, and your nature shields with them. I can use the gaps those fluctuations create to siphon off some of the chi. I take it into my body and it becomes my chi. Because I don’t have chi of my own naturally, because I have to take it from other people, if I don’t do that regularly I become weak. Like I’m starving.” Todd said. They’d reached the car, and Steve was holding the driver’s side door open for her once more. Apparently, he was perfectly okay with her driving again. He closed the door behind her once she’d slid in, and was around the car in a flash. Todd buckled up and started it while he was getting settled and buckling up himself. 

They watched the group of teenagers rush out of the restaurant as they pulled out of the parking spot. They waved at Steve and Todd grinned wickedly as she flashed the headlights at them in acknowledgment. Steve laughed happily when one of the kids jumped into the air and whooped. 

“Trouble, Baby Doll. That’s what you are.” Steve murmured, even as he reached over and tucked a curl behind her ear. Todd flushed but kept her hands on the wheel. 

“Where we going, Steve?” She asked, stopping at a red light. 

“FRIDAY? Directions to the art show please?” Steve asked, and Todd about jumped out of her skin when a woman’s voice with an Irish lilt came out of the car’s speakers. 

“Of course, Captain Rogers.” A GPS map appeared on the windshield, and a route soon filled it in. Todd glanced over at Steve in shock, even as she started following the directions. 

“Sorry. FRIDAY is Tony’s AI. She’s built into the car.” Steve said, laying his hand on her thigh. Todd had to bite back a moan at the heat of that hand, even through the thick velvet of her dress. 

“Oh. Okay. Just startled me is all.” Todd said. Steve squeezed her thigh and fell quiet. She was pretty sure he was thinking over everything that she’d told him, and she had to fight to keep the worry from bubbling up again. They were almost to their destination when Steve spoke again. 

“FRIDAY, privacy mode, please,” Steve said it like he knew she’d follow the order, and a moment later the same lilting voice acknowledged him. When they reached another red light, Todd turned to stare at Steve. 

“Privacy Mode?” She asked. Steve patted her thigh gently. 

“Tony records everything. I trust him, but I’m not ready for him to know about your abilities. The rumours about registration seemed to be more than rumours, but it hasn’t been confirmed. Just being careful.” Steve said. Todd took a deep breath and nodded. She didn’t trust Stark at all and was very glad that Steve was protecting her. 

“I felt like there was more you were going to say about your powers before we got into the car,” Steve said. Todd nodded and went when the light turned green. 

“One of the benefits of feeding on people is that I heal. I broke my arm while I was in college, and a friend lets me feed off him. Within an hour the break was healed like it had never been there. His name’s Mac, and he’s the one that I feed on. He’s a great guy, and his fiance is a wonderful man.” Todd said. She watched Steve go still at the mention that she fed on another man, and then relax once again when Todd mentioned his fiance. John was a wonderful man, though he wasn’t comfortable being fed on. It wasn’t any skin off her nose, she didn’t want to touch a Witch’s energy anyway. The one and only time she had, she’d been violently ill for days afterward. 

“How often do you need to feed? And don’t I remember you saying that you preferred the taste of lust? When you were taking out those three men?” Steve asked. His hand tightened on her thigh, forcing the clip of her garter belt to dig in a little. A shiver ran down her spine at the slight bite of pain. She heard a soft intake of breath from the other seat and grinned wickedly as Steve’s aura spiked with lust. 

“I only need to feed every couple of months, unless I use my powers. They drain me. And I do prefer lust. When I feed on Mac, I tend to sit on the other end of the couch while he and John make out. It works, and there’s no uncomfortable touching between the two of us.” Todd said. They’d reached their destination by then, and Todd pulled up to the front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art where valets where waiting. Turning to look at Steve she saw his eyes were trained on his hand, a dark look of lust on his face in the glaring lights of the wall of press waiting for them. 

“We’ll… talk about that more later.” Steve said. It was that voice again, the one that made her think of the taste of mulled wine and mint. Pulling his hand away from her, Steve opened his car door and stepped out. The next day there would be pictures all over the internet of him buttoning his jacket, looking like sex on legs. 

Todd waited, knowing that he’d want to open her door himself. The press made her nervous, but this right here showed her that he wasn’t ashamed to be seen with her. He hadn’t tried to get her to sneak in the back. 

Opening her door, he held his hand for her once again. Taking it, Todd stepped out of the car as gracefully as she could, plastering a smile on her face when the flash of a hundred camera blinded her. Steve tucked the hand in his under his elbow and accepted the ticket that the valet handed to him. He held her back, leading her back from the car by a couple of steps, only moving forward when the valet had driven off. 

Todd braced herself, kept the smile on her face and held her head high as she walked the gauntlet of press on Steve Rogers’ arm. How had this become her life? 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The charity HeadStrong is mentioned in this chapter. They are a wonderful group that offers mental health resources to post 9/11 soldiers in the New York area. You can make donations on their website if you'd like, http://getheadstrong.com

Steve kept her close as he faced off with the press. He posed for pictures, signed autographs and shook hands. But he always scooped her hand back under his right elbow. He answered questions of who she was with a simple ‘My date.’ The first couple of times she wondered why he wouldn’t answer the question and then realized that he was still protecting her. He was keeping her name from the press. 

After that Todd smiled sweetly at the cameras but didn’t bother to answer questions. They were there for Steve, not her, and to be honest she didn’t want her picture and name splashed across the media anyway. With all the cameras though, she worried that it wouldn’t matter. Her picture would be out there, attached to Captain America.

They were halfway up the stairs when she heard it: the scream of a raven. Glancing toward the sound she found her mother in her raven form sitting on the ledge above one of the doors. She had only a second to question why she was there before the heat of her mother’s energy surrounded her and them swept out from her. Giggling, Todd squeezed Steve’s arm and motioned toward her mother with her chin. 

“Is that…?” He murmured, even as he led her further up the stairs. Nodding, Todd kept an eye on the stairs. She knew she was capable of walking them in her six-inch heels, but she didn’t want to stumble in front of all these people. A small hum of concern vibrated against her hand and she looked away from her feet to see his face. 

“If there is a single usable picture with me in it, I’ll be shocked.” Todd murmured when he turned a questioning look to her. Steve’s expression turned to one of wicked delight and she had to catch her breath at the dark chuckle he let out. The man had a dark side a country mile wide and Todd wanted nothing more than to wallow in it. She wondered how easy it would be to drag him into a dark room and get those long-fingered hands under her dress. 

“Well then. It’ll be fun to watch them scramble tomorrow. For now, let’s get inside.” Steve said, waving one last time to the press before turning to the door. Todd grinned and waited for him to hold the door for her, sighing softly when they stepped into the cool dim light of the museum. She lost count of how many times she’d come here, she loved it here. 

The Great Hall had been decked out for the night, high tables with tall stools scattered around. American flag banners strung from the high arches, interspaced with the flags of the different military divisions. There was a stage set up in front of the Met Store and a band was playing soft jazz while a woman in a glittering white dress crooned into the mic. A bar was on the other side of the room, a small cluster of people milling around it. People stood in their best finery in clusters and talked, while a few spun around the open space in front of the stage. 

Steve guided her to a table draped in black silk just to the right of the door. Two women in the black and white uniforms of the staff sat behind it. There was a large glass bowl sitting between them, and a banner hung the length of the table. Todd stared at that banner and felt pride in what she saw. 

All of this was for HeadStrong, a local foundation that provided mental health care for soldiers. She gave to them monthly, not a lot, but she did give. It was one of three charities that she gave to regularly. 

Steve stepped up to the table, reached into his jacket and pulled two envelopes out of it. He dropped them into the glass bowl, taking the two pins that one of the ladies handed to him. Todd grumbled and pulled her hand away from his arm, garnering his attention. 

“Todd?” He asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion. Planting her hands on her hips she glared at him. 

“You didn’t tell me this was for Headstrong.” She growled and smirked when just a little bit of guilt came over his face. 

“I… didn’t think about it?” He said. She huffed and turned to the lady closest to her. 

“Do you guys take cards?” She asked. Steve’s small intake of breath had her turning hard eyes toward him. His teeth clicked close from where he’d opened them to speak. 

“Shut it. Steven. PTSD isn’t something to sneeze at. I’m going to make a donation. Now be a Doll and go get me a glass of white wine. I’ll find you when I’m done.” Todd said, smiling to let him know she was just teasing. Steve chuckled but bussed a kiss over her cheek before walking away. She watched him attach one of the pins to his lapel as he walked away. 

It didn’t take her long to make a donation, and she left the table to find him with her own pin attached to the neckline of her dress. The pin was simple, white with the black and blue logo of the charity on it. She noticed several more on men’s lapels, and a few on the necklines of dresses or pinned to the outside of purses or shawls. Knowing that the charity was getting so many donations that night made her happy. They did good work and needed the money. 

It wasn’t hard to spot Steve waiting at the bar, but the man standing next to him made her pause. She’d seen enough pictures of one Tony Stark to recognize him when he turned to talk with Steve. 

***

Steve felt guilty about not telling her who the art show was for, but that cheeky grin of hers had softened it. Her insistence on donating, even her words had his heart kicking in his chest. He knew it was silly, but he could feel himself tripping headfirst into love with her. It was hard not to. She saw him as Steve, loved the artist in him, and the sparkle in her eyes when he’d chuckled outside had shown that she liked the wicked side of his humor. 

They’d barely known each other a month, and he knew already that he wouldn’t be able to walk away from her if he wanted to. 

Going to the bar to get her wine, Steve had to grind his teeth. Tony was standing there at the bar. Steve had been certain that the rest of the team wasn’t going to be attending. Yeah, they’d all received invitations, but the rest of the team had sent gentle refusals. Tonight had been one that he’d been passionate about, so he’d accepted. Bringing Todd had been Sam’s idea, and Steve was more than happy he’d followed his friend’s advice. Sam had even sent along his own donation to the charity with Steve. 

Suspicion curdling his stomach, Steve stepped up beside Tony. 

“Tony. I didn’t think you were coming tonight.” He tried to keep the suspicion out of his voice, but he could hear that he hadn’t managed entirely. The other man jumped just a little before turning to face Steve. Guilt flashed across his face before that manic grin of his replaced it, and Steve had to sigh. 

“Hey, Steve! Fancy meeting you here!” Tony said, all good cheer. Steve rolled his eyes and turned to the bartender when he made his way to them. 

“White wine and a bourbon neat,” Steve told the man, tucking the twenty in his hand into the wine glass already half full of bills. The man nodded and looked at Tony. 

“Martini, dry and champagne,” Tony said. When the man had turned to gather their drinks, Steve turned to Tony in time to watch him stuff his own bills into the glass. 

“So Pepper is here as well,” Steve said, leaning one elbow on the bar as he looked down at Tony. He’d at least put on a tux for the event, a sleek black number with a pale green pocket square and a black bowtie. 

“Now now, Cap. No need to sound all accusing. It was Pepper’s idea. Apparently, you’ve been dancing around questions about your date for tonight.” Tony said, glancing around the room. Steve sighed and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. 

“Yes. I have. Maybe because I don’t feel that you guys need to know everything about my personal life.” Steve grumbled. Tony looked hurt and affronted but didn’t say anything. When Steve looked up at him he found Tony’s eyes wide and his mouth hanging open just a little. Following his gaze, Steve found Todd standing a few feet away, looking between them. Smiling at her, Steve held his hand out. She came, though he could see her pulse jumping in her throat. 

Standing straight from the bar, Steve brought her hand to his lips, pressing a barely-there kiss to her knuckles before pulling her into his side. It was too late now to keep her from Tony. Even though he hadn’t wanted to involve the team in his personal life, he wasn’t going to snub Todd to keep it that way. 

Turning to Tony, he watched the man pick his jaw up off the floor and draw his composure back around himself. Grinning, because he knew that Todd looked nothing like what Tony would have been expecting. The brightly colored hair, the nose piercing, none of it was what anyone would have expected in Steve’s date. 

“Todd, Baby Doll, this is Tony Stark. Tony, this is my date, Todd.” Steve said, motioning toward Stark as he reached around Todd’s waist with the other hand. He palmed her hip, taking an iron grip on his composure when he once again felt the outline of a garter belt. Ever since he’d felt the straps in the car he couldn’t keep the image out of his head. He wondered if it was the same soft blue lace as her bra. 

“Todna Corvid, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stark,” Todd said, offering her hand to him. Her other had tucked itself around Steve’s waist. Her clutch pressed against his lower back. He could feel her trembling just a little against his side, and he tightened his grip on her hip. 

Tony didn’t shake her hand as Steve had been expecting, instead, he leaned over and kiss the knuckles just as Steve had done. When the other man straightened back up, the cheeky grin on his face made Steve glare. 

“My pleasure, I’m sure, Ms. Corvid,” Tony said, turning that thousand watt smile to Todd. Who stiffened just a little before chuckling just a little. 

“Now, Mr. Stark. Stop trying to get a rise out of Steve by flirting with his date.” Todd said, taking her hand back from his. Steve let out a bark of laughter when Tony’s eyes widened and his jaw went slack again. It was always good to see the man knocked flat-footed. After a second of gaping, Tony turned to Steve and grinned again. 

“I like her. Keep her around Steve.” Tony said it off hand as he turned back to the bar. The bartender was there with their drinks. Steve handed Todd her wine and took his tumbler of bourbon while Tony scooped up his drinks. Todd glanced up at Steve when Tony turned away from them and Steve gave her a soft smile. Returning the smile, Todd used her arm around his waist to tug him after Tony. 

Steve didn’t like it, but he wasn’t going to deny her anything. And when her voice came, pitched low so only he could hear it, he relaxed that little bit more. 

“They’re your family Steve. I was going to meet them eventually.” Todd said. Steve took a deep breath and leaned over to press a kiss to her temple. He was so glad that she wasn’t intimidated by his life. 

“Tony, there you are. And I see you’ve found Steve and his date.” Pepper seemed to appear out of the crowd, a smile on her face. A gorgeous black gown graced her frame, the broach at her hip had a large green jade gem in it that matched Tony’s pocket square. Her strawberry blonde hair was left down around her shoulders. Gorgeous as always, Steve smiled for her. She took her martini out of Tony’s hand and kissed his cheek in thanks. 

“That I did. Pepper, sweetie, this is Todna Corvid.” Tony made the introductions this time, slinging his arm around Pepper’s waist. She stood a few inches taller than him in her strappy black heels. 

“Todd, please. It’s a great honor to meet you, Ms. Potts. I’ve always looked up to you.” Todd said. She broke away from Steve enough that she could give him her glass of wine and offer a hand to Pepper. Pepper’s grin was bright and welcoming as she offered her own hand to shake the other woman’s hand. 

“Please, call me Pepper. I’m glad to meet you as well, Todd. Steve’s been much happier these last few weeks.” Pepper said, glancing over at Steve out of the corner of her eyes. Steve huffed but grinned at Todd when she returned to his arms. She took her glass of wine back from him and leaned a little heavier against his side. 

“Oh? Well, I’m glad to hear it. He deserves some happiness after everything.” Todd said. Steve took a drink of his bourbon to hold in the groan he wanted to let out. He could already tell these two were going to be trouble together. But at least he could feel Todd start to relax against his side as the conversation flowed between them. 

“So, Todd. What do you do for a living? I’m curious as to how you and Steve met.” Pepper asked some minutes later. Steve tensed, but Todd only patted his lower back with her clutch. 

“I’m a graphic designer. I work at a firm here in Manhattan that designs sets for television shows, Broadway plays, and movies. I specialize in historical sets. Mostly Tudor era and before.” Todd replied. Pepper and Tony both blinked for at her. 

“So.. how did you two meet?” Tony asked bluntly. Todd giggled just a little and Steve knew he was in for it. He squeezed her hip in warning, but she only patted his back again. 

“Steve came to my rescue when I was being followed from the subway station one night. His assistance wasn’t needed, mind you. I’m perfectly capable at self-rescue.” Todd said all grins when the other two looked between them. 

“You… were followed from the subway?” Pepper asked, her eyes suddenly hard. Steve watched Tony’s fingers twitch on his mostly empty champagne glass, and had to focus on stopping himself from crushing the glass in his own hand. 

“Yes. I’d worked late that day and didn’t get back to Brooklyn until near midnight. Please don’t worry, I know kickboxing and I was quite capable of defending myself against one drunk idiot.” Todd said. She was tense again, and Steve knew that she was worried they wouldn’t buy it. 

“I stuck around long enough for the police to arrive, and they arrested him. Afterward, I walked her back to her apartment. We got to talking about art on the way and she gave me her number. We’ve been texting and calling since.” Steve offered, lying easily. The team thought he couldn’t do it, but he’d gotten very good at it in the last few years. Some missions required him to do so, and since the fiasco with Insight, he’d been honing his skills. 

“Well. I’m glad that you didn’t get hurt. Is he in jail now?” Pepper asked, draining the last of her martini and placing the glass on the tray of a server who was passing. They all followed her example and when Pepper motioned to a nearby table they went to sit at it. 

“Yes. The police have contacted me, he pled guilty to the charges and will be spending some time behind bars. I have a restraining order against him for when he gets out.” Todd said, laying her clutch on the table in front of her. Steve took one of her hands and held it in his, feeling the trembling there. He’d have to talk with her later, in private. She wasn’t as okay about what had happened as she appeared. 

The conversation moved away from what had happened and to art after that. And Steve watched Todd come alive as she spoke of her work. Steve held his own as she spoke of her paintings, talking of his own attempts at digital art, and the traditional charcoal drawings that he preferred. Before long, they were in a debate about traditional versus digital and Pepper and Tony slipped away from them. 

In the end, Steve had them agreeing to disagree on the matter and they left the table to wander through the exhibits of the museum. The first stop was the Greek and Roman art exhibit, and Todd stopped at a black statue. It wasn’t very big, only about eighteen inches or so tall. Reading the plaque, Steve stood back to admire it. Theseus Slaying the Minotaur. 

“It’s… savage, yet beautiful.” Steve said, cocking his head to the side to get a different angle. Todd sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his arm. 

“It’s my favorite piece. It’s completely historically inaccurate, mind you. Dad’s still alive and well in Greece. But he seems so… powerful in it.” Todd’s voice was wistful, and Steve readily interlaced their fingers together when she took his hand. It was only then that her words registered. He blinked several times before pulling away enough to see her face when she looked up at him. 

“What?” He asked and could have slapped himself. Still couldn’t talk to a pretty dame.

“My dad’s the minotaur. I thought I told you?” Todd said, squeezing his forearm with the hand that wasn’t in his. Steve stared at her and slowly shook his head as he worked through the shock. 

“No. I think I would have remembered that.” Steve glanced around them then, making sure no one was close enough to overhear their conversation. Todd giggled and gripped her tongue between her teeth. 

“Where do you think I got the horns from, Steve?” She asked. Steve thought for a moment and then chuckled at his own silliness. 

“Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it that much.” He said. When Todd’s face fell and she went to pull away he tightened his grip on her hand, stopping her. “Hey. Your other form is just as beautiful as this one, Baby Doll. I just hadn’t questioned why you have horns, is all.” 

He watched her face soften again, her eyes studying his face. One hand lifted to his face and cupped his jaw. Steve leaned into the touch, giving her a smile of his own. 

“You’re amazing, Steve.” She whispered before leaning in to kiss him. He fought against himself and won to keep the kiss chaste. She pulled away first, giving him a smile that nearly blinded him, causing his heart to trip in his chest. 

They wandered the rest of the exhibits, pointing out their favorite pieces to each other. By the end of it, when Tony and Pepper found them to say goodnight, Steve and Todd went with them. Todd and Steve chuckled to each other when the four of them stopped for a photograph on the way out to the cars. And when Tony asked what was going on, they simply shook their heads and laughed harder. 

Tony spluttered when Steve held the driver’s side door of the Tesla open for Todd but waved them away when Pepper elbowed him in the ribs. Todd and Steve laughed at the pout on his face as she pulled away from the curb and headed back to her apartment. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Posting a day early to celebrate Steve's 100th Birthday! Happy Birthday Stevie!

The ride home had been comfortable, filled with conversation about some of the art pieces at the museum. When she’d parked in the same spot in front of her building as before, he’d rushed around the car to open her door, and then went to the meter to pay while she unlocked the front door of the building. 

When he kept his hand on her lower back in the elevator she knew he had honorable intentions tonight. Todd was fairly certain that Steve intended to kiss her goodnight at her front door and go. She had other plans, however. She wasn’t blind to the heat in his eyes every time they dropped to her hips. He wanted to see what was hidden by all that gold velvet. So when he crowded her back against her door she’d smiled wickedly up at him. 

“Todd, may I kiss you?” Steve’s voice was warm and husky. Todd looked up at him through her lashes for a moment before tilting her head just enough to offer her lips to him. She was only a little disappointed that he hadn’t worn any more of her lipstick since they’d left for dinner. 

“Yes.”

The first brush was gentle, just as his hand was against her jaw. But when her left hand came up and gripped his tie, he stepped into her and deepened it. His right arm snaked around her waist and tugged her in against him as he tilted his head to slot their lips together. Her shoes left them with only three inches in height between them, but the heels still left the ground as that incredibly strong arm lifted her to him. Her eyes fluttered closed at the feeling of being so safe in those arms. 

Todd moaned softly at the first brush of his tongue against her lower lip, even as she carefully slotted her key into the lock by feel alone. Parting her lips, she invited his tongue to come and taste as the key slide in. The taste of mulled wine and mint burst over her tongue as his swept into her mouth. Brushed against the edge of her teeth, stroked over her own. 

Her hand shook only a little on the lock before she was finally able to turn it. 

Breaking away from his lips on a gasp, Todd was suddenly very glad his arm was banded around her when the door at her back swung open. She, apparently, hadn’t been as sneaky as she thought or as observant, because he’d twisted the handle the moment the deadbolt had released. If he hadn’t been holding her up she’d have ended up on her ass in her entryway with that move. 

Steve pressed another quick kiss to her lips, ending it with a nip to her lower lip before he carefully lowered her back onto her feet. She licked her lips and swallowed to wet a dry throat as she looked up at him again. The wicked little smirk on his face had her whining low in her throat. She had to try three times before her voice would come out. 

“You comin’ in, Soldier?” She asked. He hesitated, his fingers flexing against her lower back where his hand had fallen. Todd tilted her head and looked him over. “I’ll be disappointed if you don’t, but there’s no pressure here Steve.” 

Whatever it was that he’d been thinking, that seemed to settle it for him. He didn’t push, he didn’t lift and carry. He simply took a step into her space. She kept her grip on his tie and took a step back. Not retreating, not backing down, simply leading him into her apartment. His hands were on her, one on her hip, the other laying on her shoulder. 

Steve pulled her into his body in the middle of the entryway, his foot hooking on the door to swing it closed behind them. Todd melted into him as soon as his lips found hers again. The sound of her keys hitting the floor came from a long way away as Steve’s tongue flicked across the roof of her mouth. 

Todd’s head swam as he kissed her, her body throbbing in time with her racing heart as heat pooled in her belly. Her hand slid up his side, reaching around him to grip the back of his jacket, gripping him to her. Wrenching away from his lips to catch a hasty breath, she moaned when his hand cupped the back of her head. 

His lips found her throat when a slow tug on her hair tipped her chin up. Letting his tie go, her hand found his hair. Even with gel holding it in place, it was soft under her fingers. His teeth weren’t when they scrapped over her pulse point, sending shivers through her. 

“Steve…” She moaned. A brushing contact up her windpipe was his nose, tilting her chin up even further. Eyes she hadn’t known she’d closed opened to see him gazing at her. A soft heated expression was on his face like she was a treasure he couldn’t believe he’d found. Her heart tripped in her chest at that look, and she wondered if there was any way to stop herself from falling headfirst into love with this amazing man. He’d shown her only acceptance, even after learning what her abilities were. He seemed so unflappable in the face of what she was. 

“You smell so damned good, Baby Doll.” Steve’s voice was wrecked. Soft and husky, it had her trembling in his arms. When she wobbled in her heels, his arm banded around her waist once more. The next moment he lifted her clean out of her shoes. Todd’s arms flew to wrap around his shoulders, her eyes going wide when that wicked grin of his returned. 

“Steve?” She murmured, breathing hard at the show of strength. The hand on the back of her neck flexed, the one around her waist a band of steel that kept her from sliding down his body. 

“Just relax, Baby Doll. I’ve got you.” A clatter from somewhere near her feet had her glancing down to see he’d brushed her heels to the side with his foot. Todd couldn’t help it, she threw her head back and giggled as he strode into her living room. By the time she’d managed to get her giddiness under control, he was setting her gently on her stockinged feet. 

Todd grinned as he palmed her hips, keeping her in front of him as he settled onto the cream cushions of her couch. Licking her lips at the sight of him on her couch. Somehow, having him there was more intimate than anything they’d done so far. Ignoring the sense of ‘right’ that filled her at the image, her own hands dropped to brush his away. He looked up at her with confusion, but quickly sat back when she shoved against his shoulders. His arms went over the back of the couch, his knees falling open as she stepped between them. Slowly, giving him a show as she did, Todd rucked the hem of her dress up her thighs. 

Steve’s eyes darkened as they honed in on the lace at the top of her stockings, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips. She felt powerful at that moment, watching his aura flare and spike with lust as she revealed the black straps of her garter belt. He was one of the most powerful people in the world, one of the heavy hitters of the Avengers, the elite superhero team. Yet, he sat passively as she settled onto his lap, a knee to either side of his narrow hips. 

Glancing up into her eyes through those incredibly long lashes, Steve’s hands moved to her thighs. His fingers gripped them, the tips digging in just a bit, his thumbs rubbing over the clips holding her stockings up. Even while he played, her hands roamed. She ran the tips of her nails over the back of his hands. They flexed under the ticklish sensation and Todd knew she’d have fingerprint-shaped bruises on her thighs tomorrow. Dropping her eyes away from his finally, she smoothed her palms up his arms, licking her lips at the feel of solid muscle under the silk of his jacket. 

“Do you know how good you look in this?” Todd asked, switching her touch from his arms to his waist. With a flick of her fingers, she opened the button on his jacket. His breath hitched in his chest when her hands disappeared under it. 

“Can promise it’s not as good as you look in that dress, Baby Doll.” He murmured. One of his fingers hooked under one of the garter straps he’d been playing with, pulling it away from her skin just a little. Todd let her fingers touch his belt buckled, let him feel her hands there before she ran her palms up his stomach, using the motion to lay his jacket open. 

Todd chuckled low when he whimpered as her nails dug through the fabric to bite into his pecs just a little. Only to gasp when Steve snapped one of the straps against her thigh. When her eyes shot up to his, she found one of his eyebrows raised in challenge, the corner of his lips tipped up in a smirk. It made her giggle, even as she ran her hands up his chest and around his neck. 

“You’re kinkier than people give you credit for, Steve. I like it.” She murmured, nipping at his lower lip. His hands slid up her legs, under the bunched up fabric of her dress to cup her ass. He squeezed, hard enough to leave more bruises as he tilted his head and claimed her lips again. This kiss was filthy, the heat in Todd’s belly jumping into a burning fire as he used his grip on her ass to pull her tight against him. The hard bulge of his erection ground into her mound, sending sparks flying through her body. The lace of her panties created a delicious friction against her as she rolled her hips into his. 

She’d been wound so tight all night, ever since she’d opened her front door to him, that she knew it wouldn’t take much to snap the coil in her belly. Her fingers lifted to bury themselves in his hair, destroying the careful style he’d done. They fell into a rhythm, grinding and rolling together as they kissed. Todd could have giggled at the realization that they were humping like teenagers on her couch if she’d been even remotely willing to give up the taste of his tongue on hers. 

Todd could feel her orgasm coming, was riding the edge of it, when Steve’s phone went off in his pocket. An air raid siren that had Todd jerking away from him in surprise. Steve’s head thumped back against the couch, even as one of his hands slid from under her dress.

“Fuck! I’m sorry, that’s Hill.” Steve grumbled, digging his phone out of his jacket pocket. Todd smiled, patted his cheek and slid off his lap to sit next to him. 

“Do what you need to, Steve. I’m not mad at you for needing to save the world.” Steve leaned over and bussed a kiss across her cheek before bringing his phone to his ear. 

“Rogers.” His voice was clipped and hard. Todd could hear a woman on the other end of the line speak up. 

“Don’t take that tone with me, Rogers. I’m sorry to interrupt your time in the gym, but Hammer is pulling his shit again. Wheels up in ten, get your ass moving.” Hill’s voice was tight but calm. Someone who was used to giving orders and having them followed without question. Todd pulled her leg from over Steve’s lap, standing up so she could brush her dress back into place. 

“I’m not at the gym, Maria. I’m on a date. It’s gonna take me twenty to get back to the Tower.” Steve snapped, one of his hands reaching out to brush down the back of her thigh. Todd smiled for him, running the backs of her fingers over his cheek. Stepping out of his reach, Todd moved to the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water from the pitcher in the fridge. She couldn’t hear what Hill said, but after a moment Steve hung up and stood from the couch. 

“I’ve got to go. I’m sorry.” Steve said. Todd turned to him and had to swallow thickly as he strutted toward her. It was that same rolling gate from before, the one that told her he wanted to eat her alive. It sent gooseflesh over her skin. 

“Go save the world, Steve. I’ll be here when you get back,” Todd said, running her hand up his chest when he reached her. Sighing, a soft smile on his face, Steve bent to kiss her. Hard and fast, the kiss left her unsteady on her legs as he pulled away. 

“Can I come by after I get back?” He breathed the words over her lips, and Todd nodded mutely for him. She couldn’t find her voice. He smiled, pressed a kiss to her forehead and strode away. Stopping at the door, he pulled her clutch from where he had been in his pocket and left it on the side table. He disappeared through the door and Todd slumped against the counter, breathing hard. That man did more to her with a simple touch, than any other man had been able to do in a week. 

Maria was waiting at the elevator when Steve arrived back at the tower. One look at his face had her silently holding out the tablet in her hands to him and stepping aside when he grabbed it. His suit jacket hung open, his tie loose around his throat, the first button on his shirt open. His hair was a mess, and his lips stained dark by lipstick he hadn’t managed to get off completely.

She’d also never seen that thunderous expression on his face. She actually felt bad for Hammer, because that was a man who’d been having a very good time and had been called away. 


	10. Chapter 10*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. This is almost entirely smut. You've been warned.

Steve knew he had been a little bloodthirsty, a little more focused than normal as he cut a brutal path through the drones. He hadn’t cared. All he wanted was to get home, to get back to Todd. 

Her scent had stayed in his nose as he raged. The sound of her moans had filled his head, leaving him with a sharp focus as he fought. 

It wasn’t until they’d made it into the abandoned building Hammer had been hiding in that Tony had made a comment of his change in attitude. Steve had charged the steel reinforced door shield first, at a dead sprint. The door hadn’t flown off the hinges as he’d expected, instead, he’d gone through the door with a scream of tearing metal. Moments later a roar of pure rage to rival Thor had risen from his throat when they found the building empty. Hammer had rabbited out an underground entrance that hadn’t been on the blueprints Maria had found. 

“You okay there, Capsicle? I know you’re all about destruction of property, but what did that door ever do to you?” 

Steve had only turned a hard glare at Tony. He’d felt a little guilty when Tony had taken a step away from him. He was getting real sick of the ‘Capsicle’ joke. 

That was the first night. 

They’d been called in to find Hammer when he’d escaped from prison, and it hadn’t been difficult. It hadn’t taken more than a handful of minutes for Maria to find the building. Surrounded by more of the Hammer Drones, it had stood out like a neon sign on the satellite pictures. The drones weren’t hard to take down, not after Ultron and his army of clones. But there had been a staggering number of them, leaving the team wondering when he could have gotten them all together while he was in prison. Hammer was gone through, and they had to start over again. 

It took them close to three days to track him down, and Steve had kept back when Rhodey had stepped up to arrest the sniveling idiot. He didn’t trust himself not to kill the man. Once Hammer had been turned over to the police, the Team headed back to the Tower. 

Debrief didn’t take long, though they were all fighting sleep as they reported in. When they were done and released to their beds, Steve sighed. 

Now he stood in his bedroom, water from his shower dripping off his hair. Standing in his briefs, he stared at his big empty bed and ground his teeth. The clock read 2:30 am. A drop of water dripped from his eyebrow, breaking his staring contest with the bed. 

“Fuck it,” Steve growled. Rummaging in his drawers he jerked on a t-shirt and jeans. Socks and running shoes went on in a rush. His go-bag was still packed and sitting on the bed. Sliding into his leather jacket, he stored his shield into the outside pocket of his go-bag. Snagging his keys, wallet and ball cap as he left his apartment he headed for the garage. 

His bike roaring between his legs, the wind whipping through his hair woke him a little, but the excitement of seeing Todd again drove him on. He’d apologize for waking her after he could kiss her again. He’d also face how utterly in love he was with her… tomorrow. 

Pulling his bike onto the sidewalk in front of her apartment building, Steve grabbed his bag and went to the door. Taking a deep breath, trying to settle his racing heart he pressed the button for her apartment. 

It took several minutes and him pushing the button three times before her voice came over the speaker. 

“Whoever the fuck you are, I am going to kill you for waking me. What the fuck do you want?” Todd’s voice was tight and angry and mussed with sleep. It was like a balm to a burn after the last three days and Steve had to take a minute to catch his breath. 

“Todd, it’s me. Can I come up?” Steve said, leaning heavily against the brick of the building. The ride had woken him somewhat but he was still bone deep tired. There was a pause from the other end of the intercom before Todd’s voice came through. 

“Yeah, Steve. I’ll leave the door unlocked. I’m going back to bed.” Her voice was still mussed with sleep, and there was annoyance there, but the biting anger was gone. Pulling the door open when he heard the click, Steve stepped into the dimly lit hallway. Normally he’d have taken the stairs, she was only on the fourth floor. Tonight he took the elevator, leaning against the wall as exhaustion began to claw at him. 

Four hours sleep in as many days wasn’t enough, even for him. 

Her door was unlocked, as she said it would be. Steve closed it as quietly as he could, throwing the deadbolt and sliding the chain into place once it was. Toeing off his running shoes, Steve followed the soft sound of her breathing. It led him into a bedroom that smelled of clean sheets, and Todd. The only light was from the bathroom light shining in the hallway. It fell over the floor at the foot of the bed. 

Heaving a sigh, Steve lowered his bag to the floor next to the door. Shuffling toward the bed he shed his clothing down to his briefs. Left them in a trail from his bag to her bed, he carefully lifted the blankets and slid in with her. 

The soft sheets were jersey knit, the same as his own, and the thick duvet took the chill off of the airconditioned room.

He sank into the soft bed with a muffled groan, his body one big ache after being awake for so long. No matter how much he wanted to curl around Todd, wanted to drag her into his arms and sleep with his nose in her hair, he didn’t. He’d intruded on her space enough as it was. So he settled onto his back, stuffed the arm closest to her under the pillow and closed his eyes. 

Steve was almost asleep when Todd rolled over and plastered herself to his side. One leg slithered over his, her knee shoving its way between his thighs. Her head nestled into the hollow of his shoulder while her hand landed over his heart. 

“This okay?” Todd mumbled against his chest and Steve heaved out a great sigh. His arm came down to wrap around her shoulders, his other dropping to lay over the one on his chest. Turning his head, he buried his nose in her hair. 

“Yeah, Baby Doll. This is perfect. Thank you, for letting me stay.” Steve whispered, feeling his eyes start to droop as he finally, fully relaxed. It had been a long few days. 

“Told you, you could come by when you got back.” Her words were slurred and Steve was asleep by the time he’d figured out what she’d said. 

***

Todd woke from some of the best sleep she’d had in years to find they’d moved in the night. She was curled into a loose ball on her side, her head pillowed on one massive bicep. The other arm was slung over her ribs, and one heavy leg pinned her hips to the bed. She was warm, and oh so comfortable. Though the steel rod poking her in her lower back was rather distracting. As was the needs of her bladder. 

Carefully, trying not to wake him, Todd lifted his arm. Slithering out from under his knee, she had made it to the edge of the bed when a large hand wrapped around her wrist. Turning to look at Steve she found him looking at her from over the edge of the duvet. At some point it had slid up to cover the lower half of his face. 

“Bathroom,” Todd murmured. She twisted her wrist until he let go, reaching up and brushing his bangs off his forehead. The blanket rippled as he sighed and his glazed eyes slid closed again. 

Todd finished up in the bathroom and returned to the bedroom quickly. But she didn’t crawl into the bed again, instead, she rolled her eyes and picked Steve’s clothes up off the floor. Rolling the socks in on themselves, she left everything sitting on top of the bag by her door. Seeing him in her bed, waking with him wrapped around her, seeing his clothes on her floor caused her heart to leap in her chest and she retreated from the room to go into the kitchen. Retreated from the emotions stirred up by that sight.

They barely knew each other, had only been on one date. Yet, the swell of emotion seeing him sprawled out under her blanket was as real and solid as she knew. She’d wondered while on their date if there was a way to stop herself from tripping headfirst into love with him. Apparently, there wasn’t. 

She wouldn’t delude herself into thinking she wasn’t already half in love with him, but she would attempt to ignore the feelings for now. They were friends, yes. But this change in their relationship? This heady pounding of her heart when she saw him? It was new and scary. His gentle earnestness, the easy acceptance he had of her, that wicked sense of humor made him so easy to love. His unwavering moral compass, his compassion, it all made her proud to stand at his side. 

Todd shook her head, turning her thoughts to coffee instead of worrying about falling in love with a man she barely knew. The smell of it must have roused Steve because by the time she’d doctored a cup for herself he was standing there looking uncomfortable. He’d pulled a pair of sweats out of somewhere, and she recognized the shirt as the one she’d found on her floor. 

“Morning, Steve. How did you sleep?” Todd asked, rounding her kitchen island to sit on one of the stools there. She ran her hand down his arm as she passed him, marveling in the feel of his skin. It was like warm velvet stretched over stone. 

“I’m… I’m sorry for just showing up like I did last night. I wasn’t really thinking clearly.” Steve mumbled, turning to face her. One of his arms lifted to scrub at that back of his neck, while the other hand tucked under his armpit. Todd looked him over with a raised eyebrow, wondering where this bashful man came from. 

“I told you last night, Steve. I told you, you could come over when you got back. You don’t have to apologize for it. Plus, I like you in my bed.” Todd said. At her words she watched him relax, a smile transforming his face. She felt her breath catch in her throat when he stepped into her space, crowding her back against the breakfast bar. His hand was hot as he carefully spread her thighs so he could step between them, bringing him that much closer to her. Todd set her cup down on the counter before laying her hands against his stomach, looking up at him. 

“Then why’d you get out of bed?” He asked. One of his hands slid into her hair, stroking through it gently. There were a few tugs, but he was so gentle as he finger combed the tangles out of her sleep-mussed hair. His other was a brand against her bare thigh. Unlike him, she was still wearing only the tank top and underwear she’d slept in. 

“Bathroom. Coffee.” Todd murmured. Her fingers had found the ridges of his abs and she bit her lip to keep from moaning. Following the lines down, she found the hem of his shirt before sliding her fingers under it. His skin wasn’t as smooth as she’d expect, there was a smattering of hair under her fingers. Steve groaned when she ran her fingernails through the hair below his belly button, and she couldn’t help but smile. 

Tilting her head back, Todd looked up at Steve. His eyes were dark again, and his aura spiked hard with lust. Licking her lips, Todd slid her hands around his waist under his shirt. He groaned again, his eyes fluttering before he leaned down and took her lips in a slow kiss. Falling into the kiss, Todd wriggled a little further forward on the stool. She gasped against his lips when he ground his hips forward. His erection pressed against her core with only a few thin layers of fabric between them, even as his tongue swept into her mouth. 

His hand slid up her thigh and around her hip to take a firm grip on her ass, jerking her that much closer to him. She suddenly loved her stools, they were the perfect height. But… no matter how much she would love for Steve to fuck her right there, just shove the fabric out of the way and slid right in, it didn’t feel right. Pulling away from his mouth, Todd let her head lull back on her neck, whimpering when Steve’s lips found her neck. Todd tucked the tips of her fingers under the back of his waistband, pushing until she could take two handfuls of his ass skin to skin. 

“Steve… take me back to bed.” She murmured. She moaned loudly when his hand tightened into a fist in her hair, pulling hard enough to have her scalp tingle. The world tilted and then righted itself as he lifted her by one hand from the stool. Todd wrapped her legs around his hips in shock, her hands being dislodged from his ass to band around his ribs. 

She knew that he could hold her with ease, could pick her up with nothing more than an arm around her waist, but it still sent a jolt of pure want through her. Heat pooled between her legs, and she felt the cotton of her panties dampen with it. Scrambling at his shirt she got her hands on the bare skin of his back. 

That rolling gate was back, jolting her core against his abs with every step, even as his teeth joined the lips against her throat. Shivering as he nipped below her ear sharply, Todd dug her nails into his back. He stumbled, catching himself on his shoulder against the door jam of her bedroom. 

Todd laughed, she couldn’t help it, even as she raked her nails across his back again. She felt the gooseflesh prickle under her hands, could feel the moan he let out vibrate through her nipples where they pressed against his chest. Lifting his head, Steve glared down at her when she opened her eyes to look at him. 

“Trouble, Baby Doll.” Steve groused. Todd batted her eyelashes at him, plastering a look of pure innocence on her face. He let out a bark of laughter, even as he walked to her bed and tumbled into it. She landed on her back, Steve catching himself above her on his elbows, both of them laughing. 

His laughter faded more quickly than hers as his eyebrows came together. Worry tripped through Todd for a moment, but it didn’t stay long. 

“What… is that?” Steve muttered, sitting back on his heels. Todd opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about, but his hands had already gripped the bottom of her tank top. When he hesitated, looking up at her for permission she nodded with a grin. She knew exactly what had peaked his interest all of a sudden. 

She watched his face melt from a look of confusion to one of dumbstruck awe when he peeled her tank up to reveal her breasts. The twin barbells through her nipples glinted in the sun glowing in around her curtains. Lightning shot through her when he reached out and gently ran the tip of one finger over her nipple. When she moaned at the touch, he caught one of the balls between thumb and forefinger and tugged. Just a little, but enough to have Todd arching into the touch. 

Her hands had fallen to her sides when he sat up, and she lifted them above her hand, crossing them at the wrist. Giving him full access to her breasts so he could explore. 

“Damn, Baby Doll. That’s… wow.” That voice was back, the one that made her think of mulled wine and mint. It made her pussy clench on nothing. 

“Never seen nipple piercings before, Steve?” Todd asked. She watched him through hooded eyes as he leaned down. Another moan fell from her lips when he pressed an almost chaste kiss to her nipple. 

“No. I’ve seen ears, nose, even a lip piercing.” Steve reached up and tapped the tip of her nose when he mentioned it. She grinned, knowing that the gold hoop through her septum had drawn his eyes often enough. Gasping at the bolt of heat that ran through her when his lips wrapped around her nipple and tugged, Todd arched into him again. 

Steve’s hands scorched against her thighs as he gripped them. The muscles in his shoulders and back bulged and rippled when he lifted her thighs, spreading them enough to drape them over his own spread thighs. It slotted his erection between her legs, spreading her open so that when he ground against her he bumped against her clit. 

Todd dissolved into moans and broken whimpers as he applied his hands and mouth to her breasts, playing with the metal through them. His hips fell into a dirty rhythm against hers. Minutes, hours, she didn’t know how much time passed before she was riding the edge of an orgasm. Whether he could sense it, or if he was just enjoying himself, Steve kept her there, riding the razor-fine edge. 

She found her voice when he tugged on the nipple in his mouth with his teeth, careful in his movements. 

“Steve! Please! Fuck! Steve, I’m so fucking close!” Todd cried, rolling her wrists to grip handfuls of the blanket under her as she bucked her hips up. He followed the movement, keeping the pressure of his erection light against her core. Todd let out a sob when his head lifted to look up at her. She could feel tears filling her eyes, even as her head thrashed on the bed. 

“Oh, Baby Doll.” Steve murmured. His hips rolled down into hers, the hot line of his cock pressing against her clit, even as he pinched one of her nipples between his fingers. Todd sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes snapping open to stare blankly at the ceiling as her body went still. The next moment Todd was screaming his name as her orgasm flooded through her like an inferno. 

Her heart was slamming against her ribs when the whiteout in her brain finally cleared, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. When she blinked her eyes open she found Steve sitting back on his heels again, gently stroking his hand from her ribs to her hips and back up. The other was stroking ever so gently over the rose tattooed on her hip. Soothing her as she came back down. 

“Damn, Baby Doll. That was beautiful.” Steve said, his voice rough. Panting still, Todd propped herself up on her elbows and gave him a grin. 

“Steven. I really, really need you to fuck me now.” Todd said. She watched him nearly choke on his breath, even as the tent in his sweats jumped. He certainly liked that idea. Still grinning, Todd went to move away from him, only to have his hands clamp onto her thighs like vices. 

“Todd…” Steve growled. When she met his eyes she found something akin to fear in them. Sighing, she sat up and threw her arms around his neck.

“We’re a little overdressed, Steve. And I need to get a condom.” Todd murmured against his lips before leaving a smacking kiss there. Some tension bled out of him, his hands relaxing on her legs. More bruises, more badges of honor on her skin. She didn’t understand the possessive streak he had going, but she wasn’t going to snub it. 

“Yeah. I guess we are overdressed.” Steve muttered. Todd giggled and rubbed her nose against his before pulling away. Rolling across the bed she came up on her feet on the other side. Turning back to Steve she had to stop and catch her breath. He was on his feet as well, his shirt in his fist. All that rippling muscle on display in the low light of the room. 

The smattering of hair below his navel was there across his pecs as well. Darker than she’d expected, it still made her mouth go a dry. When his hands dropped to his pants, she licked her lips and turned to watch him. 

“Like what you see, Baby Doll?” Steve asked, even as he hooked his thumbs into his pants and pushed them down. Swallowing hard, Todd could only nod. Her voice had disappeared the moment his pants and briefs dropped. His erection sprang free and suddenly her mouth was watering. 

She wondered briefly if the serum had enhanced that as well, but didn’t ask. Long, thick and hard enough to stand straight out from the bed of curls, it was glorious. He was uncut, not surprising considering when he was born. His foreskin was pulled back, revealing the glistening glands, slick with precum. Todd wanted nothing more than to run her tongue over him, see how far she could take him down her throat. 

“Now who’s overdressed?” Steve’s voice made Todd snap her eyes up to his face. Grinning suddenly, Todd pulled her tank over her head, only breaking eye contact when it got in the way. He cocked a hip and crossed his arms over his chest in a clear challenge. Lifting an eyebrow at him, she turned her back to him. 

Hooking her thumbs into her panties she shimmed her hips, slowly pulling the soaked cotton down her hips. Drawing them down her thighs, Todd bent at the hips, giving Steve a clear view of her pussy. She could feel how wet she was, knew it would be gleaming with her slick. 

A punched out grunt came from behind her and she giggled. Straightening, she tossed a wicked look over her shoulder as she opened the drawer of her bedside table. She’d gotten the box of condoms yesterday. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but she’d wanted to be prepared when he got back. Pulling it from the drawer she ripped it opened and dug out one of the little foil packets. 

Todd dropped the rest of the box into the drawer and turned back to the bed. To find Steve kneeling on it. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest at the sight. His hair glowed in the low light, his muscles rippling as he breathed. Blue so bright she could see it from where she stood gleamed from between shuttered eyelids. Running her eyes over his shoulders and then down his chest she licked her lips. He was gorgeous, all firm muscles and smooth skin. 

But it was the long-fingered hand wrapped loosely around that uncut cock that had her moaning. He was stroking himself slowly, a twist when he got to the tip as he collected the fluid leaking from it onto his palm. Drawn in, Todd set her knee on the bed and crawled across it. Steve’s free hand landed on her shoulder, but she ignored him. She needed to taste. 

She waited until his hand moved before she leaned down and swiped her tongue over the tip. Fingers clenched on her shoulder at that first taste, a hiss from somewhere over her head sounded. Todd didn’t care, because the taste of him burst over her tongue and she moaned. Thick and savory, a hit of sweet near the end, she was reminded all over again of mulled wine. Todd wanted more, so without hesitation, she loosened her jaw and slid her lips around the tip. He was thicker than she’d ever taken into her mouth before, but the feeling of him laying heavy on her tongue had her eyes rolling into the back of her head. 

“Fuck!” Steve cried when her lips kissed his hand, the tip of his cock resting against the back of her throat. Not quite far enough to make her gag, the absolute perfect depth. Hallowing her cheeks, she pulled away, applying even suction as she drew her mouth off him. Another punched out grunt sounded from the man above her, and his hand tangled in her hair. When she would have taken him back into her mouth he tugged on her hair. Lifting her chin she looked up into a face a little wild with pleasure. 

“Not like that. Fuck, Todd. That was hot, but I want to come buried inside that pretty pussy of yours.” Steve said, gentling the hand in her hair as she sat up. Licking her lips, she moaned at the sound of those crass words coming from his lips. Following his silent instructions, the soft tugging of her hair and the barely there brushing of his fingers, Todd found herself in the same position they’d been in before. Laid out on her back with Steve sitting on his heels between her legs. Taking the condom from her hand, he tore it open and rolled it over himself. 

“Steve,” Todd whimpered, her eyes locked on where he jacked himself lazily a couple of times. Settling the condom into place. Then his hands landed on her hips and he lifted them into his lap. Todd found herself resting with her shoulders on the bed, her legs splayed over Steve’s thighs. His hand nearly spanned her lower back when he slid it around to support her weight, his right hand trailing over the front of her hip to her core. 

“Such a pretty pussy,” Steve muttered, his eyes locked on where his fingers slid through wet folds. The first tentative touches had whips of pleasure running through her. Digging her hands into her hair to have something to hold onto, Todd tried to arch further into his hands only to find that she couldn't. This position left her completely at his mercy with no leverage to move her hips at all. 

The whimper that left her throat had him glancing up at her, and even though he smirked, he stopped playing. She looked down along her body, watching him smear the slick on his fingers across his dick before guiding the tip to her entrance. Then his hands were back on her hips, holding her to him as he rose off his heels. Todd’s breath left in a rush from her lungs as he began to enter her. It was an intense, slow slide as she stretched around the biggest cock she’d ever had in her. 

Every thick inch wound her tighter, sent her careening toward her peak so that by the time his hips were flush to hers she was lost. With a wordless scream, Todd’s back arched until her only point of contact with the bed was the top of her head. Pleasure screamed through her, setting her body on fire for a second time, sweeping every thought in her mind away on its tide. 

Yet, he still hadn’t moved, simply held himself as deep inside her as possible as she rode her orgasm. Didn’t move until she’d gone completely limp on the bed. Her eyes snapped open, a broken moan punching out of her as he slowly withdrew. Todd had only a moment to wonder what she’d gotten herself into when she saw the wicked smirk on his face before he snapped his hips forward. It punched the air out of her lungs and sent an aftershock through her body. 

Steve didn’t give her time to recover this time, instead, he put his hand back under her hips to hold her. It freed his other hand to play. Smoothing up her rips to pluck at her nipples, tug gently on the metal there, or smooth his thumb over the peaks. His hips moved in a lazy rhythm, long slow slides that felt amazing. Todd was finally able to relax into the pleasure he was giving her, to catch her breath. 

“Goddess… Steve, I’m so full. Baby, you feel so good.” She knew she was babbling, didn’t care. All she cared about was the coil in her belly that was already starting to tighten. It was sluggish this time, and she wondered if she’d actually be able to come a third time. Then Steve spoke and she stopped wondering as the sound of his voice had her racing for that peak again. 

“You keep talkin’ like that, Baby Doll, and I ain’t gonna last long. Fuck, you feel amazing.” Steve’s voice was utterly wrecked, and when she could force her eyes to focus on him, she moaned. Sweat was beading on his skin, matting the hair at his temples and across his chest. His plush lips were puffy from where he was biting at them. With a sharp tug on her nipple, his hand left her chest to cup her hip. 

“Steve… fuck… Keep talking,” Todd whimpered, her hands finally leaving her hair to wrap around his wrists. His eyes snapped up to look at her, and she drew in a sharp breath at how dark they were. 

“Like a little dirty talk, do ya, Baby Doll?” Steve asked. Todd nodded frantically, even as her grip on his wrists tightened.

“I’m so close, Doll, so damned close. But not yet. I want one more. You think you can do that? Think you can come on my cock again?” Steve asked. Todd groaned his words like a physical caress across her skin. Unable to find her voice again, Todd simply nodded. She was approaching her peak again, and from the trembling in her middle, she knew it was going to be a big one. 

“Come on, Baby Doll. Let go, come for me again. Take me with you,” Steve’s voice sounded again and Todd’s breath caught in her chest. When his thumb suddenly landed on her clit, his hand on her hip stretching to press against it, she snapped. Before it had felt like a wildfire ripping through her, this felt like a bomb had denoted inside her core. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream and she felt herself clamp down around his cock like a vice. A cock that swelled and jumped inside her. 

Steve’s eyes went wide, and he thrust twice more frantically before going still. Even as white began to take over her mind she watched him curl over the top of her with a roar that hurt her ears. 

That warrior’s battle cry echoed through the room. She would worry about her neighbors later, right now her focus was on something else entirely. As his orgasm ripped through his body, his aura bled all over her. She had to lock her jaw closed and throw her head to the side. It was a heavy blanket over her skin that tempted her to feed and feed until she could take no more.  


	11. Chapter 11

Noises from the other room roused Steve from the doze he’d fallen into. Todd was curled into his side, her head over his heart. Where he’d pulled her after he’d taken care of the condom and she’d gone to the bathroom to clean up. 

On high-alert, Steve glanced down to see she was awake as well. Steve pressed a finger to his lips, only to have Todd roll her eyes and nod. 

Steve watched her slither from the bed, not making a sound, before he followed her. The bed creaked just a little as he moved but not so much it sounded like anything but him shifting. When he was on his feet next to Todd, she held out his sweats, which he pulled on quickly. 

Looking back to her after he’d settled his pants on, he found her in his shirt, a long walking stick in one hand. When he cocked his head to the side, she twisted the end and pulled. Two inches of gleaming metal appeared above the wood and he realized it was a sword. Crouching next to his go bag, he very carefully opened the pocket holding his shield. Thanking Tony’s need to improve everything, the zipper opened without a sound. 

Another rattle greeted them when they slipped from the bedroom into the muted light of the hallway. They didn’t speak, didn’t need to apparently. Because when he slid his shield onto his arm and settled it in front of him, Todd ghosted in between it and him, her sword suddenly naked in her hand. Even in nothing but his t-shirt, she took his breath away. It wasn’t hard to see that she was well versed in the use of that sword, the way she moved, the way she carried it told him as much. 

Placing his right hand on her lower back, he used it to lead her down the hallway with careful steps. Following in her footsteps, he sidestepped the floorboard in front of the bathroom that groaned. She knew her apartment well enough to know how to walk through it like a ghost. 

Rounding the wall into the living room, he almost walked right into Todd’s back when she stopped suddenly. The sword she’d raised just a little dropped so the point was against the floor as she went limp. Steve didn’t relax, instead, he kept one eye on the woman sitting at the small table. Hair so dark a black it gleamed like an oil slick in the sunlight coming through the open curtains. When she lifted her eyes from her hands to look at them, Steve sucked in a harsh breath. Her eyes were gold. Not the brown that some people have that is almost gold, but a gold like freshly minted coins. 

“What, Todna? No hug for your mother?” Nemain asked. Steve felt gooseflesh ripple over his skin at that voice. It echoed more than it should have in the room, had weight to it. Tearing his eyes away from Nemain, he looked down at Todd. Who threw up her free hand in frustration and stormed past Steve. Back in the direction of her bedroom. 

Nemain’s belly laugh had Steve panting at the intensity. The cawing of ravens, the clash of battle were in that laugh. Stumbling a little, Steve reached out and braced himself against the wall with his right hand, keeping his shield between him and the woman. Todd’s mother or not, she had him scrambling for composure with just a laugh and it frightened him. 

The laugh had faded from the air when Todd returned, but Steve was still leaned heavily against the wall, trying to catch his breath. Looking over at her when she appeared at his side, he found she’d gotten dressed. A pretty purple sundress that left her shoulders bare and ended just above her knees. 

Steve sucked in a full breath when her warm hand landed on his ribs, and he was finally able to stand up straight. Contact with her seemed to lessen the effect her mother had on him. 

Rage filled Steve, sweeping away the last of whatever Nemain had done to him, and he stormed passed Todd to her bedroom. He didn’t like being toyed with. Dropping his shield on her bed he snagged up his go-bag and nearly ripped the zipper off opening it. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he dug to the bottom of it and pulled out a small wooden box. From inside it, he pulled out his vial of sage oil. 

He could hear heated words coming from the other room but focused on what he was doing instead. 

Popping the cork out of the bottle, he smeared a drop onto each of his ears, both of his eyelids and grimaced at the taste when he touched his finger to the tip of his tongue. Stoppering it again he dropped it back into the box and pulled out the silver chain. Slinging the chain around his neck, he closed the box and put it back in the bag. 

Taking a moment to let the oil take effect, he slicked out of his sweats and pulled out fresh briefs. Jeans and an Under Armour shirt went on with them. Once he felt more centered, he snagged up his shield again and went to face Todd’s mother. 

Coming back into the large open room that housed the living room, dining room, and kitchen, Steve found Todd standing across the table from Nemain. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was glaring daggers. Nemain was… amused if her expression was anything to go by. But when she turned to look at Steve, one dark eyebrow raised. 

“The oil is well done, Warrior, but you’ve got the wrong pantheon’s protection on.” Her voice still held a weight, and he could still hear the rage of battle in it. But it didn’t knock the legs out from under him as it had before. Smiling a dark smile, Steve came to stand beside Todd. 

“Thor is a close personal friend. If I were to call to Heimdall, I’m fairly certain I would have a small army of Asgardian Warriors on the roof of this building within minutes.” Steve said, lifting his hand to touch the pendant hanging from his neck. It was a simple thing, just a silver representation of Mjolnir.  

“Hmmm… I’m certain that is true. But I wish only to speak with you.” Nemain said, indicating the chair across from her. Glancing at Todd, he found a mutinous expression on her face. A gentle touch to her elbow with the back of his fingers had her drawing her eyes away from her mother. She sighed deeply at the look on his face, and he knew his concern and confusion was clear. 

“She won’t hurt you. I think I know what this about, and if I’m right…” Todd said. Wrinkling her nose, she flicked the pendant around his neck with a finger. “I think you need to hear her out.” 

Steve turned to her completely, stepping into her space. Cupping her hip with his right hand, he used his shield to hide them from her mother’s eyes. Todd sighed again, her hands coming up to lay against his waist. Her forehead thumped against his chest, next to the pendant. 

“World Killer…” Steve barely caught the words, even though Todd was touching him. But he could almost taste the fear and apprehension rolling off her body. Tucking his head, Steve pressed a kiss to the top of her head before using his hand on her hip to move her away. She went easily, giving him room to sit in the chair Nemain had indicated. Todd moved around to sit in a chair to his right. 

It was only then that he noticed the tea service in front of him. Apparently, Todd noticed at the same time. 

“Damnit, Mother! I just took that back to the house!” Todd said. Nemain only waved the comment away with one elegant hand before lifting the teapot to pour herself a cup. Steve looked between the silver service, Nemain, and Todd before slumping in his chair. Shaking his head he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. That small interaction showed him that Nemain loved her daughter enough to be indulgent of her. If he knew anything about this Goddess, she was not one to take being yelled at lightly. 

“Steven. I’ve watched you for some time. Your mother was one of mine before she married your father and converted to his religion. I’m glad to see she taught you some of the old ways.” Nemain said it casually like she hadn’t just punched Steve in the gut. He watched her take a sip of the tea from what felt like a long distance, as he tried to find his feet once more. 

“She… never told me.” Steve said, trying to swallow his heart. It had leaped into his throat at her words. Todd’s hand landed on his where it rested limply on his thigh, and he turned his wrist to hold hers palm to palm. 

“I’m not surprised. But I did not come to speak to you of her. Perhaps later we can, but for now. I must ask something horrible of you.” Nemain said. She set the cup in her hand on the table and met his eyes when he lifted them. 

“You can ask, but I can’t promise I will say yes,” Steve said. Her eyes had caught him, he knew it, could feel the draw. Not even the oil could stop it. He could see movement in her pupils, what appeared to be a battle played out in them. Her eyes dropped from his before he could make sense of what he was seeing. He felt the weight that had settled over him lift. 

His heart was pounding in his chest, adrenaline pumping through him. Steve felt like the world around them was holding its breath, like this was a crossroads in fate. That tingling pressure in his skull was stronger than he’d ever felt it in his life, a buzzing of a million bees filled his head. He dared not tell her no, and it had nothing to do with her being a Goddess. 

“I have seen a storm on the horizon. I would like to show you what I have seen. You need to understand what you face in the future.” Nemain’s eyes raised to his once more, but the battle was gone from them. Without thought, Steve let his shield slip from his arm, where he set it gently on the floor next to his chair. Reaching across the table, he held his hand palm up toward Nemain. 

“Show me.” He said. Steve would later wonder why he trusted her at that moment. Perhaps it was the look of real fear on her face or the warm weight of Todd’s hand in his. It didn’t matter though, because Nemain didn’t hesitate to take the offered hand. 

“World Killer Comes.” The words had barely reached his ears before he felt himself falling. Todd’s apartment was gone, the warmth of the sun coming in through the window vanished as he found himself in the middle of hell.

Blood and death raged around him. He watched as he stood, fought and… failed. The Avengers stood before the greatest evil they had ever faced and fell. The world burned, ash and screams clogging the air. It went on and on for what felt like hours. 

“Steve? Steve, sweetie? Come back now.” Todd’s voice rang through his mind like a bell, shattering the world. 

Opening eyes he hadn’t known he’d closed, Steve found Nemain’s. They weren’t gold any longer, they were black. Like staring into a void, he stared into solid black eyes. Taking a ragged breath, he sat back in the chair when Nemain let his hand go. He never broke eye contact with Nemain, even as the black receded, as white and gold came back into view. 

The image of what they faced was still in his mind. Hell, his body ached something fierce, like he’d physically been in that fight. Determination filled him, but so did fear. He couldn’t see how they could beat this ‘World Killer’. Couldn’t see how just knowing he was coming would help. The visions that Nemain had given him hadn’t shown any weaknesses. Nothing they could exploit to defeat him. 

“I showed you that for a reason, Steven. I can help, but I cannot do it without you.” Nemain’s words caught Steve’s attention and he narrowed his eyes at her. 

“What can I do?” He asked. 

“I can offer you access to my powers. My strength. But… you would have to be the one to pay the price of it.” Nemain seemed to… shrink at her words. Steve noticed how tired she was, and bit his tongue on the sharp reply he’d been about to say. 

“Why would you offer me access to your powers instead of defeating this ‘World Killer’ yourself?” Steve asked softly. He wanted to snarl and bark at her. But he didn’t. Todd’s hand in his and the way Nemain held herself kept him from doing it. 

“I may be a Goddess, Steven, but even I have limits. I can only influence this world, I cannot take a direct hand in changing it. And my ability to influence is not what it was a thousand years ago.” She said. Steve watched as she lifted her cup, shock filling him when he saw it waver. She was trembling. A Goddess was sitting in front of him, a being more powerful even than Thor, and what she’d shown him had her shaking. 

Steve didn’t think about it, he simply reached across the table again and caught the hand where it was still resting against the table top. He felt Todd’s hand tighten on his, but he didn’t waver, he simply waited. Nemain’s eyes were hard as she looked at him, but it only lasted a moment before she shifted and settled her hand in his. 

“What price? You said I would have to pay the price.” Steve asked. It was at that moment that his situation hit him. He was sitting at a table, bathed in sunlight, holding the hands of a Goddess and her daughter. A daughter who he was so ridiculously in love with already that this simply felt right. 

The wave of home that swept through him, the rightness of where he was tightened his chest and he had to take a deep breath to settle himself again. Nemain’s voice came, and Steve was surprised to find that she sounded like any other woman. Her voice deep and husky, a voice that would carry over a battlefield. But nothing more than a voice. 

“All magic has a price. What I offer you, the ability to tap into my power, is big magic. Even for a Goddess. The price will be steep if you agree, but I believe it will turn the war that is coming.” Nemain squeezed his hand gently, and he could feel the strength there. He knew she wasn’t trying to intimidate him, she was just so strong that even a gentle squeeze was intense. 

“My mother… used to say that to me. Tell me that everything has a price, and it’s always better to pay it beforehand.” Steve said. He turned to look at Todd, a smile coming unbidden to his face from the look of awe on her face. Her thoughts were a mystery to him until he noticed her eyes were on the hands on the tabletop. Had she been so scared that her mother would frighten him off? 

The need to reassure her rode him hard, and he lifted the hand from his thigh to press his lips to her fingertips. When her eyes met his, he smiled for her and was happy to see her smile again. 

“It is best to pay the price first. It is the tradition for the Chosen One to face trials, to prove themselves worthy of the God’s boon. I am sorry, but not even I can change that.” Nemain’s voice drew Steve’s eyes back to her. Sighing, Steve lowered Todd’s hand back to his leg. He didn’t notice when he did it, but Nemain and Todd certainly noticed when he began to rub his thumbs over their knuckles. An action done without thinking as his mind churned on other things. 

Steve did catch the look that passed between them when he lifted his eyes from his reflection in the silver teapot. But when they only smiled at him he let it go. His mind made up, he turned his attention to Nemain. 

“I’ll stand your trials. If you truly think that with your power I can defeat this ‘World Killer’ then I’ll do it. I have questions though.” Steve said. Nemain studied him before she nodded. He felt a little forlorn when she pulled her fingers from his grip, but he didn’t resist her. 

“I had originally planned on two, The Heart and The Mind. But…” She stopped, black filling in her eyes again. But she blinked and it was gone before Steve could see more than simply movement in them. 

“But?” He asked, tilting his head to put himself back into her line of sight. She blinked again and caught his eyes once more. It still sent a chill through his body, those shiny gold eyes. 

“Your brother is being hunted by a man who plans to use him to tear the Avengers apart from the inside. A third trial, the one of The Flesh, would pay the price for me to remove the many-headed serpent from his mind permanently.” Nemain’s voice was suddenly hard, and Steve rocked back in his chair at the look of pure hate in her face. But she patted his hand before he could remove it from the table. Not him then, angry at HYDRA perhaps. Or this man that was hunting Bucky. Steve didn’t doubt for a moment who she meant by ‘brother’. 

“Three trials then. Very well. When do we start?” Steve asked, feeling rage of his own rise. Someone was after Bucky and he knew nothing about it, couldn’t even find Bucky. 

Nemain threw her head back and laughed again. It slammed into Steve, hard. He dropped his chin to his chest and panted through gritted teeth as that laugh rattled in his chest. The clashing of battle, the screaming of ravens merged and white-hot rage came rushing out of Steve’s gut to fill him. He’d felt the battle rage before when they fought Ultron and the Chitauri. Now it raced to fill every cell in his body, tinting his vision red as he tried to press it away. 

“MOTHER!” Todd’s sharp reprimand broke through the haze taking over Steve’s mind and he took a deep shuddering breath. Sucking in another when the first blew out of him like a winded horse, Steve forced his hand to relax on Todd’s. A cool finger made contact with the back of his fist and he felt that coolness sweep through him, laying the battle rage back to rest in his center. 

“One of mine after all. Forgive me, Steven. I had not thought you were would be so affected.” Nemain’s soft voice had Steve looking up at her. Giving her a strained smile he straightened completely. 

“Not the first time I’ve felt that. Just caught me off guard.” Steve said. He’d found his composure again and he rubbed his thumb over Todd’s hand in apology. Silence came over them all for several minutes. Steve knew that Nemain was studying him, trying to figure something out about him. 

“The man hunting your brother is a survivor of Sokovia. He blames the Avengers for what happened. His name is Helmut Zemo.” Nemain said. With a roll of her wrist, a photo appeared in her hand. She offered it to Steve, and he took it without comment. He was a plain looking man, mousy brown hair going grey, a soft face. 

“Helmut Zemo. Is there anything else you can give me?” Steve asked, looking away from the picture. Nemain had a predatory smile on her face, and when Steve turned to Todd he found the same on hers. It hit him then that his girl, this tiny woman who held his heart in her hands, was just as much a warrior as her mother. It was unsurprising, once he thought about it, but it eased some of the need to protect her. She didn’t need him to protect her at all. He was claiming that privilege, however. Had claimed it the moment he’d kissed her right here in this room. 

“Only that he knows more than he should about the Winter Soldier project. He’s found a chink in Bucky’s armor and plans to exploit it. Once the first Trial has begun I can begin to unravel his carefully laid plans. But you must find him. He plans to kill innocents to get to Bucky.” Nemain said. Steve looked back down at the picture and ground his teeth together. But hope flared in his chest. Perhaps Bucky would be willing to come in from the cold once he knew that HYDRA couldn’t use him any longer. 

“When do we start?” Steve asked, carefully laying the picture on the table before he crushed it. Tony would need it to run facial recognition. 

“Now. The trial of the Flesh. I will change your flesh, and you must prove that you are still the hero you are now. Only then will you return to yourself.” Nemain said. Steve flinched when her voice echoed in the room once more. Before he could react more than that she leaned across the table and pressed a single finger to his forehead. 

Agony took him. Started at that point of heat on his forehead and spread through him like lava. By the time it had encompassed his head and was sliding down his throat, he broke and screamed. By the time it had slid down his shoulders and chest, blackness was creeping into his vision. 

The blackness snapped up like a giant jaw and dragged him into blissful unconscious as the heat filled every nerve in his body. He was burning alive for just one moment before he slumped in his chair and slid to the floor. 


	12. Chapter 12

Nemain had vanished at the same moment that the first scream had ripped its way out of Steve’s throat. Leaving Todd to catch him before he hit the floor. It was only as she cradled him in her arms that she noticed how small he was. 

The shirt he’d had on had been a half a size too small moments ago, but now it billowed around his tiny frame. His jeans weren’t any better. Where before they had been tight across his thighs, they now gaped. The waist still seemed to fit, even though several inches of fabric was bunched around his feet.

Todd stared down at Steve as he was before Project Rebirth and felt her heart skip in her chest. His face hadn’t changed much, thinner now, but those lips were the same that had kissed her only hours ago. 

Shaking herself out of her staring, she carefully collected him in her arms. He was so light. It was frightening to her how easy it was to lift him. Todd knew that she could have carried him this way as he was before, as she had been blessed with her father’s strength along with his horns. But now he weighed nothing in her arms. Placing him on the couch, she settled next to him. 

She was holding his hand when his eyelids finally started to flutter. When they finally opened Todd sighed in relief. 

“Todd?” Steve asked. He blinked several times before finally seeming to be able to focus. 

“Yeah, Steve. I’m right here.” Todd said. A look of such anger rolled over his face for a moment before it smoothed out. 

“Fuck. I’d forgotten what this feels like.” He said. Todd carefully reached up and brushed his bangs out of his face. She really didn’t like the way his chest was rattling. 

“I can imagine. Can you sit up?” Todd asked. When he did so, moving carefully like he was in pain, she laid her hand against his back. Every breath made his chest vibrate, and she could feel where his spine curved in a way it shouldn’t. 

“Fuck!” Steve cried, his hands clenching into fists on his knees as he tried to straighten all the way up. Todd kept a close eye on him as he began to wheeze with each breath. Breaths that were coming faster and faster. 

“Steve, you need to slow your breathing. You’re having an asthma attack.” Todd said carefully. She knew he’d be testy right now, understood that what he was going through wasn’t easy. So when his head whipped around and he glared at her she simply lifted an eyebrow at him. 

“I… fucking know… I’m having… an asthma… attack!” Steve snarled out through gasping, wheezing breaths. Todd only sat up straight and crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Don’t take that tone with me, Steven. You agreed to go through these Trials. You knew it wasn’t going to be easy. So suck it up Buttercup and slow your fucking breathing!” Todd snapped right back. She may understand that he was having a hard time, but she wasn’t going to let him treat her like shit because of it. 

He stared at her with wide eyes for several seconds before grinning weakly. But his breathing didn’t even out. When it only got worse, when he reached up and rubbed at his chest like it hurt Todd felt real worry trip through her. When his lips turned blue she broke. 

“Damnit, Mother! A little help would be nice!” She cried out. Sliding to the floor in front of him, she took his hand and pressed it to her chest. Taking even deep breaths she caught his eyes and held them. He nodded and tried to match his breathing to hers, but it didn’t seem to be helping. 

“Mother! This isn’t part of the Trial! You said he had to prove he was still a hero! You said nothing about him dying because he couldn’t breathe!” Todd screamed it this time, not liking how his eyelids were fluttering. A barely there thump was her answer, and when Todd turned to look toward the noise she found an inhaler sitting on the floor next to her knees. Her mother’s deep sigh of resignation could be felt in the air, but Todd didn’t give one whit. 

Grabbing the small device off the floor, Todd ripped the mouth cover off it and gave it a couple of good shakes. Holding it to Steve’s lips, she waited until he let it slip between them before depressing the top. 

“Deep breath through your mouth. As deep and as slow as you can take.” Todd said, holding the inhaler there. The air rattled harshly as it went down, but he managed it. After he’d taken a couple of breaths she depressed the inhaler a second time. He didn’t need prompting this time, just sucked in a deep breath again. 

Todd pulled the inhaler away and waited. It took a few minutes, but his breathing settled. The wheezing never fully stopped, but his lips weren’t blue anymore, and color had come back to his face. Thanking every god that would listen that Mac used an inhaler, Todd slumped down to rest her forehead to one of Steve’s knees. At least she’d known what to do. 

“Well, that was fun,” Steve said, his voice thick with sarcasm. Todd couldn’t help it, she laughed. Steve snickered a little but had to stop after a second. It took Todd longer to sober up, but she did finally manage it. 

“Yeah… let’s avoid your lips turning blue from now on.” She said. Todd got to her feet, snapped the mouth guard back into place and looked down at him. He stared up at her. He looked so damned small, sitting there on her couch. Maybe it was the shirt that was hanging off thin shoulders, how gaunt his face was compared to what she was used to. It didn’t matter, because every protective instinct she had was screaming at her to wrap him in bubble wrap and stuff him in a closet somewhere. 

But that was the last thing she should be doing. He’d never pass the trial, never pay the price needed to return his brother to himself, if she forced him to be safe. Gritting her teeth, she shoved all of those instincts into a small box in her mind and slammed the lid. 

“Well… I think we need to see if I have anything that’ll fit you, clothing wise. And you should probably call someone at the Tower.” Todd said. That angry look was back, and again it lasted only for a moment before it smoothed out. 

“Yeah. Probably should. None of my clothes are going to fit.” Steve grumbled. Getting to his feet carefully, still moving like something hurt, he glared down at his feet. At least his pants weren’t trying to fall off his ass. 

“Look’s like the pants are just too long. We could roll them up and you’d be fine. I’ve got a couple of t-shirts that should fit.” Todd said. When he looked up at her with a rebellious scowl on his face, she rolled her eyes and dropped to her knees. With quick, efficient motions she began to roll one pant leg up. 

“I can do that!” Steve snapped, pushing at her shoulder. She waved him off and kept working. 

“It’s better if you let me while you’re standing straight. The cuffs’ll be straight that way, and I know they’ll be the right length.” Todd said. She heard him mutter something about ‘being able to take care of himself’ but she ignored it. He was testy and grumpy; in pain and dealing with something he thought he’d never have to deal with again. When she was certain he wasn’t about to trip over his pant legs, she got back to her feet. 

“I can take care of myself!” Steve snarled. Todd rocked back on her heels, hurt by his tone. It wasn’t until she saw the flush of pink across his cheeks, how he wouldn’t look at her, that she realized it. And it made her angry, not at him, but at every woman who turned her nose up at this amazing man when he last looked like this. How many women had snubbed him because he wasn’t some big manly man? Todd had to take a moment to breathe, push the urge to hunt them all down and kill them. They were probably all dead anyway. 

“I know you can take care of yourself, Steven, but as your ‘Baby Doll,’ it’s my  _ privilege _ to take care of you. So will you please stop snapping at me like an angry dog and let me?” Todd said. She tried to keep her irritation out of her voice with only a small amount of success. She clenched her hands into tight fists on her hips at the look of shock on his face. Gaping at her he stuttered and stumbled over words. 

“You… but… I’m… you still…” Steve gasped. Todd’s eyes narrowed at him, but it didn’t seem he needed the inhaler again so soon. Shaking her head, she stepped into his space, gratified to feel his hands land on her hips. Hands that were thinner, lighter, but with fingers just as long. She knew that she was an inch taller than him, but it’s still a jolt when she found them nearly eye to eye. 

“Steve. I told you the other night, it wasn’t your body that attracted me. It was your heart, and your mind and that unflappable moral compass of yours. So unless you specifically tell me you don’t want us to be together anymore, I’m still your girl.” Todd said, pouring every bit of truth she could into her words. Steve’s eyes were still wide, but he seemed to relax into her when her arms slid around his shoulders. Careful not to put too much pressure on his shoulders, acutely aware of his delicate spine, Todd gave him a slow smile. 

“You’re amazing, Baby Doll,” Steve said, leaning in further to rub his nose against hers. 

“So, Soldier, you gonna let your girl take care of you?” Todd asked, melding closer to him, her arms curling so she could cup her elbows in her hands. It pulled him flush against her body and she braced herself to keep from leaning against him. Steve sighed a deep gush of breath across her face but nodded. 

“Yeah, Baby Doll. I should call Tony at least, explain the situation. He needs to start looking for this Zemo guy anyway.” Steve murmured. Before she could reply he was kissing her. He was hesitant in a way he hadn’t been before. Todd kissed him back, slowly, and felt him melt completely. His hands slid around her waist to grip her ass through her dress.

Todd pulled away first, wanting to continue, but worried about his breathing. Leaving him with a smacking kiss against his cheek, she left his arms and headed for her bedroom. She heard his voice as she rummaged in her drawers for a shirt for him. Her Thor tee would probably fit him fine, she just needed to find it. 

***

Steve dialed Tony’s personal number as he watched Todd disappear into her bedroom. The inhaler was sitting on the table where she’d left it, like a taunt. When he’d stepped out of the Rebirth pod and could take a deep breath he’d hoped that he’d never have to deal with this ever again. 

He shoved the resentment and rage away when he remembered what was coming, remembered why he was the way he was. To free Bucky of HYDRA’s influence, to have the remotest chance of defeating this ‘World Killer’ he’d go through a lot worse than this. What was a little trouble breathing to save the world? 

A muffled sound came from his phone and Steve cursed under his breath as he switched it to his other ear. He’d forgotten that his left ear was nearly useless and had gotten into the habit of holding the phone to that ear. 

“Tony?” Steve asked into the phone. Settling his shoulders into a more comfortable posture, he went to the table and picked up the inhaler. Turning it in his hand he glared at it. 

“Steve? There you are. I thought there for a minute you’d butt dialed me. Where are you? You missed breakfast.” Steve ground his teeth and had to concentrate to understand Tony. Hissing out a curse he rolled his eyes. 

“Tony, I need you to speak up. I’m having trouble hearing you.” Steve snapped, trying to keep his frustration down. There was silence from the other end, and Steve took his phone away from his ear to make sure he hadn’t dropped the call. 

“What’s going on? Where are you?” Tony’s voice had lost all playfulness. Steve took a deep breath and glanced up at Todd where she was standing on the other side of the table. He hadn’t heard her come back. She cocked her head to the side before nodding. Steve gave her a strained smile. 

“I’m at Todd’s and I need to talk with you. Just you, Tony, no one else. There’s something going on and I’m not willing to explain over the phone.” Steve said, never breaking eye contact with Todd. For the first time since he’d met Tony that creeping, tingling pressure in his skull wasn’t warning him to keep his mouth shut. It was silent, like it was waiting to see what he’d do next. 

“Okay… I can be there in like thirty. Less if you want me to bring the suit.” Tony said. Steve glanced around and sighed, no balcony. 

“No suit Tony. And bring my truck, not one of your cars.” Steve said. Without thinking, he laid his hand against Todd’s hip when she came around the table to stand next to him. The touch helped ground him at the moment. He felt cut loose and drifting, and it frightened him how isolated inside his own head he felt. His hearing wasn’t just at a normal human level any longer, it was less than that. He could barely hear out of his left ear, could only hear a little better out of his right. A souvenir from the polio he’d suffered as a child. His eyesight had always been crap before the serum, but now it felt like he was half blind, the colors muted and washed out in front of him. Todd’s pretty purple dress was now a muddy brown. 

“Why would I ever drive that monstrosity?” Tony barked. Steve sighed and leaned his head against Todd’s shoulder. It was oddly nice to be almost the same height as her. Her soft hand was warm against his skin when it slipped under the fabric of his shirt to lay against his stomach. 

“Tony. You’re coming to a civilian’s apartment, on a Monday morning. A civilian who happens to be very beautiful. The press will have a fucking field day, and I’d rather not have Todd’s address splashed all over the front page.” Steve snapped, feeling like he was explaining something to a child. A petulant one at that. 

“Language!” Tony snapped, but Steve could hear the smile in his voice. 

“Oh fucking bite my ass, Tony! Just fucking get here!” Steve snapped, frustrated all over again. Pulling the phone away he hit the end call button, perhaps a little harder than necessary. He had to take a deep breath to keep from throwing the phone when the screen didn’t even waver. Todd’s fingers gently stroking over his skin helped him calm down, even if it was only a little. 

“I’ve got a shirt for you.” She murmured, holding up the dark shirt in her fist. Steve nodded, pulling away with a sigh. He had to remind himself, again, why he was doing this. 

***

When Todd opened the door to Tony, she had to giggle, just a little. He was wearing a Black Sabbath tee, blue jeans, and a baseball cap. Dark glasses were folded and tucked into the neck of his shirt. He had a takeout bag in his hand that smelled of cinnamon and pastry. Motioning him through the door, Todd closed it firmly behind him. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation. 

She had to skirt around him where he’d stopped dead in the middle of the entryway. When she caught sight of his face, she had to giggle again. His eyes were bugged out, and his jaw had dropped open as he stared at Steve. 

Who was sitting at the table with a mug of lemon tea with honey and an open bottle of Tums. He’d complained of heartburn, and she’d dug the antacids out of the back of her medicine cabinet for him. Moving past Steve, she ran the tips of her fingers over his shoulder as she went. The shirt had fit him just fine, a little big, but still comfortable. It was dark blue, had a picture of Thor on it, with the words ‘Bringing the Thunder’ in yellow print. 

“Alright, Steve. What the fuck is going on?” Tony snapped. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she watched as he moved to sit across the table from Steve. 

“It’s a lot to explain, but first, does that have nuts?” Steve asked, pointing to the bag. Tony blinked and looked down at the bag. 

“It’s those cinnamon rolls you like from the cafe in the Tower…” Tony said. Todd watched Steve sigh, his thin shoulders rising and falling. 

“Yeah, they have nuts. Thanks, Tony, but I can’t eat them.” Steve said, leaning away from the bag. Todd sighed and went back to washing the tea set her mother had once again brought. Maybe she should just leave it here… it was such a hassle to lug it back to the house every time her mother had a whim. 

It was odd, in a way, having two Avengers sitting at her kitchen table talking. But that conversation showed that even though Steve was tiny, and frustrated with it, he was still Steve. He had a confidence and authority to his voice that didn’t change, even if he was a hundred pounds lighter and several inches shorter. 

Doctoring a cup of coffee for herself, Todd poured a second cup. 

“Tony, how do you like your coffee?” Todd asked in a lull in the conversation. When he didn’t answer right away, she turned to find him staring into space with a calculating look on his face. It was Steve who answered, twisting slowly in his chair to look at her. 

“Creamer and sugar. Might as well just bring him everything.” Steve said with a smile. Todd nodded, leaving her coffee on the counter as she packed the sugar bowl, the bottle of french vanilla creamer and another mug of steaming coffee to the table. Leaving them, she went and got her own coffee before returning to sit on Steve’s right. 

It was a little chilling, being in the same position she’d been in with her mother that morning. Reaching over, she laid her hand over Steve’s on the table. He rolled his hand and took her hand in his. 

“Who is this ‘World Killer’?” Tony asked suddenly. Steve only shook his head and took another sip of his tea. 

“I don’t know. I only know what Nemain showed me and that doesn’t make much sense either. I know he was after the Infinity Stones. He went after Vision, ripped the Mindstone out of his head. Crushed the Tesseract in one hand and took a stone similar to the Mindstone out of it. Put them is this golden gauntlet. Tony, all he had to do was snap his fingers and people turned to ash and blew away. Billions at a time.” Steve said. Todd swallowed hard and let his hand go when he reached for the Tums again. 

“Fuck.” Tony snarled, his hands shaking as he poured creamer into his cup. Todd reached out and took the spoon from his hand when sugar scattered over the table. He looked at her for a long moment before nodding. She added two spoonfuls to his cup before he waved her off. Dropping the spoon into the mug, Todd returned her hand to Steve’s. 

“Okay. So Nemain said that if you pass these Trials she’ll give you the power you need to take this guy down?” Tony asked, stirring his coffee. Steve nodded, leaning back in his chair as he chewed on the Tums. 

“Yeah. Three Trials. This is the first one. I have to prove I’m still a hero without the Serum.” Steve said once he’d swallowed. He grimaced when he took a drink of his tea. 

“And the other two?” Tony asked, taking a drink of his coffee. 

“The Heart and the Mind. I don’t know what they involve, or when they’ll happen.” Steve said. Todd’s eyes narrowed as his breathing became ragged again. Tony glanced up at him as well, his lips pinching together as he looked Steve over. 

“You can’t be out in the field, Steve. Not like this.” Tony said. Steve’s glare could have frozen lava, but Tony didn’t even flinch. 

“How the fuck am I supposed to prove I’m still a hero if I’m not in the fucking field?” Steve snapped. His breath wheezed in his chest. 

“Steve. No turning blue this time.” Todd said, turning her own glare on Tony. Steve squeezed her hand and dug his inhaler out of his pocket. He didn’t use it, just held it as he concentrated on regulating his breathing. 

“I don’t know, Steve. But that’s it. Until this Trial is over and you’re back to being all big and muscly, you’re benched.” Tony said. Steve glared still but relented. 

“Fine. But I’m not going back to the Tower. I won’t have you and the rest of the Team hovering.” Steve said. When Tony opened his mouth to object, Steve only leveled another glare toward him. When Tony threw his hands up in defeat, Steve pushed the picture of Zemo toward Tony. 

“Who’s this?” Tony asked, finally breaking the staring contest between the two men. 

“Helmut Zemo. He’s after Bucky. Nemain says he’s planning on using Bucky to tear the Avengers apart and is going to kill a lot of people to do it. He’s a survivor of Sokovia.” Steve said. Tony looked down at the picture and sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. 

“Why would he think that your old war buddy could tear us apart?” Tony asked. Todd watched a flush rise up on Steve’s face. 

“Probably because HYDRA sent the Winter Soldier after your parents,” Steve said, his voice hesitant. Tony’s face went white as his eyes snapped up to Steve. 


	13. Chapter 13*

The conversation with Tony had been difficult, to say the least. Tony had been angrier than Steve had ever seen him, had screamed at Steve for not telling him before. 

Steve wanted to believe that he was sparing his friend, but he couldn’t lie to himself. He’d been sparing himself, not wanting to face what Bucky had been forced to do. Howard was a friend, and even though he’d never met Maria, he still mourned their deaths. Knowing that Bucky had been the one to kill them had been hard for Steve to come to terms with. 

Tony had raged at Steve in a way that Steve had never seen before. Had even thrown the mug he’d been drinking out of against the wall. That’s when Steve had gotten pissed. Tony had every right to be angry, but that was uncalled for. When Tony had only scoffed and said he could afford to buy Todd a hundred more coffee cups, Steve had surged to his feet and about ended up on his ass when he overbalanced. 

“Tony! That’s completely beside the point! What if that mug had been a gift? Christ!” Steve snarled, his inhaler biting into his palm as he clenched his fist around it. Which is about when Tony had lost his head completely. Steve could see it coming, could see it as Tony shifted his weight, preparing to throw a punch. But his body was so sluggish like he was moving through molasses, and he knew that he’d never dodge it. Not that it mattered, not like he couldn’t take a punch. 

The punch never landed. In the time it took Tony to draw his hand back and swing, Todd was on her feet, half leaned over the table to catch Tony’s fist in her small hand. She didn’t even appear to be straining as she held the larger man back. 

“That’s enough!” Todd snarled, and with a heave that took very little effort on her part, Tony found himself back in his chair which skidded a couple of inches across the hardwood of the dining area. Steve gulped and flinched back when she turned hard brown eyes toward him. Her face softened, and she sighed as she looked him over. Feeling guilty for reacting to her in that way, Steve forced himself to relax and sit back down. 

“Sorry, Miss Thang, but this has nothing to do with you! And how the fuck did you do that?!” Tony snapped, getting back to his feet. Todd tore her eyes away from Steve and rounded on Tony. 

“You are in my _home_ , Stark! That makes it my business! Secondly, I won’t let you hit somebody you call your friend! No matter how fucking pissed you are, it’s still abusive behavior!” Todd snarled, taking a step toward Tony when he turned to glare her down. Steve stiffened, just a little, but reminded himself that Todd was more than capable of defending herself. Every instinct in him was screaming at him to get between his girl and the threat. 

“How did you do that?” Tony hissed, doing that thing with his hand that Steve had seen so many times before. A flippant flick of his wrist that Steve had seen Howard do once or twice. Glancing at Todd out of the corner of his eyes, Steve felt dread drop into his stomach. There was no way around it now, no way to keep Todd’s abilities from Tony. 

“I don’t have to tell you that. Now, either sit down and discuss this like adults or get the fuck out of my apartment.” Todd snapped, stepping back and sinking into her chair. The move was graceful and elegant, every movement precise. Steve could see that it was her way of controlling her anger; that she became incredibly efficient in her movements with her anger. It was a habit that Steve had fallen into after the serum. A way to control the strength. 

Tony stood for several seconds, before carefully settling back into his chair. Crossing his arms over his chest, he turned cold eyes back to Steve. He didn’t scoot back up to the table, however. Sighing, Steve rubbed the heel of his hand over his chest where his heart was aching in his chest. 

“Tony has the right to feel angry,” Steve said, staring at the table top where his eyes had dropped after Tony had settled into his chair. 

“Yes, he does. But he doesn’t have the right to physically assault you just because he’s angry at you. That’s not how friendship works. And I won’t allow it in my home.” Todd snapped. Turning to look at her he watched her cross her arms and legs, still glaring at Tony. Steve knew he shouldn’t be aroused by her anger, shouldn’t feel like he wanted to kiss her while she looked like an angry cat. But he did. 

The rest of the conversation had been stilted and strained, but it had cleared the air a little. Tony had still been angry when he’d tossed Steve’s keys on the table. Happy had been outside waiting for him with a discreet town car when Todd and Steve had walked with him outside. Tony had simply lifted two fingers at Steve when he said he’d be back when he’d completed the Trial. 

Steve had checked the meter for the truck before heading back inside, shaking his head when he realized Tony had put enough in there to last most of the day. Todd had called into work for the next couple of days, stating she could work from home if it was really needed, but a family emergency had come up. 

After that Steve had watched her throw together an overnight bag, suggesting they go out to her house for a couple of days. Get out of the city and relax. He was sat on the edge of her bed with his head hung and his hands resting on his knees. 

“I’m supposed to be proving that I’m a hero, Todd.” Steve had said, feeling more tired than he’d felt in a long time. He knew it was emotional exhaustion, that the day had been a rollercoaster since the moment he’d woken alone in the bed. 

“It’ll happen in its own time. If you go looking for trouble to prove that you’re still a hero you’ll fail the trial. It’s the way it works. You have to continue on in your life and not change anything.” Todd reminded. Steve had looked up at her when she stepped between his spread feet. Her hands were been cool and comforting against his neck and he leaned into one of them. 

“I know you’re right. I guess Tony just has me off balance.” Steve murmured, tilting his head back and returning her kiss when she leaned in. It was still a shock to him, he couldn’t quite believe that she still wanted him like this. 

A sudden jolt snapped Steve out of his memories, and he groaned as he sat up straight. He was in the passenger seat of his truck, headed out to Todd’s house on Long Island. A glance at the dashboard clock showed that he’d been staring blindly out the window for almost an hour. Had been slouched over for that long, and now his back was in knots. 

Todd had pulled off the paved road and was bumping along a gravel driveway, from the looks of it. Glancing out the back window of the truck, Steve was glad to see his bike was still secure in the back. Knowing that Todd had strength close to his own had been one thing, watching her lift his 710-pound bike into the back of his Dodge Ram had been something else entirely. 

How she could be as strong as she was and still seem so soft and delicate was beyond him. He didn’t question it, just accepted that it was part of who she was. Where he’d thought it would make him feel inferior and lesser he found only arousal and pride. 

A house came into view through the trees, and Steve sat forward to see it more clearly. It was a two-story A-frame cabin. Split wood was piled up to the windows on the front deck on both sides of the door, and there was a fire pit with log seats in front of the house. Todd parked next to that and turned to smile at him after she killed the engine. 

He was gawking, he knew he was. When she’d said she had a house out on Long Island, this wasn’t what he’d pictured. It was… beautiful. 

“It’s not much. But it’s mine and I love it.” Todd said. Steve turned to look at her and grinned. 

“It’s perfect,” Steve said. Todd laughed softly and leaned across the seat for a kiss. Steve was all too happy to give her one. The sight of that house was enough to help him relax for the first time since Nemain had shown up at the apartment. He wondered if he’d ever get enough of her kisses. Her lips were soft and smooth, and the gold hoop through her nose was warm against his upper lip. 

The kiss was too short as far as Steve was concerned, but eventually, he had to breathe. When he pulled away, Todd smiled at him and popped open her door. Cursing himself for forgetting his manners, Steve got out of his own side. It was a lot further down to the ground, or at least it seemed that way to him. Gasping out a pained sound when his feet hit the ground, pain rushing up his back and along his shins at the sudden impact. Steve ground his teeth and powered through it, keeping his legs under him by sheer force of will. He had to remember to be more careful with how he moved for now. 

Once he could stand straight again, Steve went to help Todd grab the shopping out of the back of the truck. They’d stopped at Target on the way out of town so Steve could buy some clothes for himself, as well as grab groceries for meals while they were out here. There was an epi pen in the first aid kit that Steve kept behind the seat of his truck, and he remembered to grab that as they moved into the house. 

He honestly didn’t know he was allergic to anymore, other than nuts. Better to have it on hand in case there was something he couldn’t remember. Stepping into the house, Steve found himself gaping again. The ground floor was entirely open. 

The kitchen was back and to the left, all gleaming granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and grey stone walls. The floor under his borrowed sneakers was a dark cherry wood, lacquered and shiny. Overstuffed couches in brown leather covered in colorful afghans were to his right, floor to ceiling bookcases stuffed with books sat between the picture windows. A heavy oak table with a purple lace tablecloth dominated the space to his left, eight high backed chairs pushed in against it. Back to the right stood a large wood burning stove, a pile of split logs sitting in a basket next to it. Straight ahead was a single open staircase leading up to a loft. The ceiling was high, the rafters bare above his head. 

“Bathroom’s upstairs. There’s a deck out back with a grill and a hot tub.” Todd said, waving him further into the house. Steve blinked and turned to look at her. She was smiling at him, and he returned it easily. 

Where her apartment had been soft and feminine in a modern sense, this was different. It was cozy and warm, rustic but still feminine. He’d thought to see more of the same here, framed movie posters and shelves full of memorabilia. But there was no space on the walls, the bookcases taking up what little space there was. There was no need for pictures, not when the large windows gave you an almost panoramic view of the forest surrounding the house.

“Wow…” Steve breathed, blinking as he took another look around. He’d never really given any kind of thought to what he would want in a house, but damned if he hadn’t just walked into one that ticked all the boxes. When he looked back to Todd he found a delicate blush on her cheeks, a soft smile on her face. 

“I’m glad you like it.” She said. Stepping into her space, he waited until she lifted her chin again before kissing her softly. It didn’t go beyond a chaste kiss, their hands still full of shopping bags and the like. But it settled something in Steve’s chest, some ache that hadn’t let go until that moment. 

“I do like it. It’s beautiful.” He whispered it against her lips, peeling his eyes open to look into hers. It was another flash of oddity for him, having to look up that single inch to meet her eyes. Before he could let the insecurity sink in again, she spoke up. 

“Why don’t you take the clothes and stuff upstairs. I’m gonna put away the food and make us lunch. We haven’t eaten yet today.” She said. Steve nodded and they shuffled the bags around between them. Taking the stairs slowly, Steve made his way up them as he heard Todd putter around downstairs. 

The loft was as beautiful as the downstairs was. To the left was the bathroom, the door standing open so he could see a walk in shower similar to his at the Tower, and just the edge of a tub. But it was the bed that drew his attention. It dominated the right side of the room, bigger than a king as far as he could tell. No footboard or headboard, what he could see of the frame was rough grey wood. The coverlet was a deep purple made from a plush fabric. There was sheer, gauzy material suspended on a metal frame from the ceiling, draped and tied to give the appearance of a canopy bed. It drew him in, beckoned him to find sanctuary behind that draped fabric. 

Moving over to it, he set the bags in his hands down and ran his palm over that coverlet. It was so incredibly soft, warmed from the sun coming in through the windows. Toeing off his shoes, Steve sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully leaned back. His back ached something fierce, and the bed felt amazing as he relaxed on it. Memory foam, that was the material of the bed. It formed to his spine, cradling and supporting it. 

Steve sighed happily as the strain on his shoulders and neck lifted and he could breathe a little easier. He didn’t realize how tired he was until Todd was there, shaking him awake. 

Blinking open his eyes, he looked around himself to find the shopping bags were gone, and he was covered in a light afghan. He’d rolled onto his side and there was a pillow under his head. Turning to Todd, he found a smile on her face.

“Come on, sleepyhead. There’s food.” Todd said. Steve groaned as he sat up, his hips and knees aching from being so still for so long. 

“How long was I asleep?” He asked, swinging his legs off the bed. Todd reached out and cupped his jaw, prompting him to tilt his head back so she could kiss him. It was slow, and a little drugging, leaving his mind muddled when she pulled away. 

“A few hours. You were asleep before I got the food put away.” She said, stepping back as he heaved himself to his feet. 

“Wow. The last thing I remember is laying down cause my back hurt. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” He said. Stretching slowly, he sighed when his back popped. When he dropped his arms back to his sides, Todd was there. He liked that she seemed to always be in his space, sharing his air. It felt right to have her there. Her arms went around his waist and his went around her shoulders when she ducked her head to lean it against his shoulder. 

“It’s fine. I turned on some music and got everything put away. Even pulled your bike out of the back of the truck.” She was so close that her lips tickled against the side of his neck. Steve just tightened his grip on her shoulders and basked in her warmth. He’d forgotten how cold he got so easily. 

“I’m still sorry you had to do it all. I should have helped.” Steve murmured, turning his head to press a kiss to her hair. This wasn’t something he thought he’d ever have. The ease with which she touched him, allowed him to touch her wasn’t something he’d ever had in his life. It was something that he’d watched Bucky’s parents do and had been jealous of. It was something he’d seen Bucky do with some of the girls he’d taken out. But he’d never had it. Reminding himself to never take this for granted, he breathed her in. 

Her scent was flatter, less nuance to it without his heightened senses, but he could still smell the floral hints of her shampoo. 

“Do you wanna come take a bath with me? After we eat? The warm water will help your back,” Todd asked. She lifted her head and Steve mourned the loss of the weight on his shoulder. 

“That sounds real good, Baby Doll.” He murmured. Taking her mouth in another kiss, Steve dropped one of his hands to her waist, trying to drag her closer to him. She came, closing the last of the distance between them until they were pressed together from knees to chest. The kiss dragged on until Steve had to break away to suck in a full breath. Frustrated at his crappy lungs, he tried to catch his breath. 

The frustration didn’t last long, not when Todd pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before slipping from his grip. Catching his hand, she led him down the stairs. Whatever she’d cooked smelled amazing, filling the house with the scent of cooked carrots and spices. 

They sat at the table, across from one another on one end of it while they ate. She’d made elk stew with carrots and beans, served over a bed of brown rice. There was more lemon tea with honey for them both, along with crisp cold water. It was amazing, even if he missed the taste of onions and garlic. She’d talked about how they could make his ulcers worse, and had said no to the potatoes he’d went to grab at the store. They and tomatoes were variants of nightshade, and it was likely that he was allergic to them in a mild way. When he told her how he’d always ended up with an upset stomach after eating potatoes, she’d simply nodded and moved on. 

Focused on the food, they were quiet as they ate, their feet tangled together under the table. When they were done, Steve gave Todd a hard look when she went to clear the dishes. She only chuckled, bussed a kiss over his cheek and went back upstairs. He could just barely hear the water begin to run above his head as he cleared the table. While she got the bath ready, he scraped and rinsed the dishes, loading them into the dishwasher. By the time he’d packed away the leftovers and put them into the fridge, the water had turned off. He checked the locks on the front and back door closed the curtains on the windows and turned out the lights before turning to the stairs.

Climbing the stairs with effort, his back almost on fire from bending as he had to load the dishwasher, Steve made his way to the bathroom. The sun had set completely by then, turning the windows into a wall of mirrors. Steve stared for a long moment at his reflection, trying to keep fear and doubt and anger from ruining the soft mood he’d been in since arriving. The t-shirt didn’t gape around him much, it was still a size bigger than he was used to. The pants had lost some of the careful fold that Todd had put in them that morning, and they hung a little low on his waist. 

It was the differences between what he was seeing and what he’d seen in the mirror in the 40s that shocked him though. He looked… healthier than he had back then. Still, rail thin, his hands too big for his body, he didn’t look like skin stretched over bone. His face wasn’t as gaunt as he remembered, and there was some muscle on his arms. Moving on autopilot, he padded closer to the windows and untucked the shirt. Lifting the hem of it a little bit, he blinked at his torso. He remembered being able to see his sternum, the way his stomach was concave and his ribs were clearly visible. Now… now they weren’t. His stomach was flat, no muscle definition like he was used to, but it didn’t suck in. He could see his ribs, but only because of the way he was stretched. 

“Are you coming or not, Steve?” Todd’s voice reached him from the bathroom, and he dropped the hem of his shirt in surprise. Turning away from the windows and his reflection, Steve went to the open door to the bathroom. 

The air was full of steam and the scents of orange, lemongrass, and pine. He found Todd already in the tub, a mound of bubbles hiding her body from him. Swallowing, the picture she’d sent to him filled his mind and he had to take a moment as lust streaked through his body. This was so much better than that picture, though. She looked like the goddess she was, lounging in the old-fashioned clawfoot tub wearing nothing but those sparkling bubbles. 

Stripping away his clothing, he left them piled on the counter. Leaving his inhaler on the small table set near one of Todd’s hands, Steve slid into the water with her. It was hot under all those bubbles, and already he could feel the heat seeping into sore muscles. 

Todd guided him until he was leaned back against her, cradled between her thighs with his head laid against her shoulder. Her hands felt amazing against his chest as she smoothed her hands over him. Sighing, he let himself relax completely against her. He slipped into a half doze there in the tub, letting her soft hands and gentle caresses soothe away the strain of the day. 

He didn’t know how long he laid there, floating on good feelings before the gentle caresses took on a different intent. Her fingers caught on a nipple and he moaned at the flash of pleasure. A soft chuckle against his back had him peeling his eyes open. She shushed him when he tried to turn to look at him. 

“Just relax, Steve. Let me touch. I want to.” Todd murmured against his ear. He hesitated, those old insecurities raising their ugly heads, but her soft hum helped push them away when he went limp again. If she wanted to touch, he’d let her. 

Todd’s fingers found his nipples again, rubbing and plucking at them until he was moaning again, his dick hard under the water. It was sensual, laying in the warm water as she touched him. Every movement of her hands sent ripples through the water, a soft caress over both their skins that heightened the feeling. 

When one of her hands abandoned his nipple to slide over his stomach, he felt his heart kick in his chest. She must have felt it too because she pressed an open-mouthed kiss to his temple. Taking a calming breath, Steve moaned at the first touch of her fingers on him. Todd explored, barely there touches over his shaft. Stretching a little she cupped his balls in her hand and rolled them in her palm. Steve lifted his hands out of the water and took a grip on the edges of the tub as she played, letting his head lull on her shoulder. 

Still, her right hand never stopped its assault on his nipples. Now she switched between them, reaching over his chest to his left one as she drew the tips of her fingers up his shaft. Pinching his nipple at the same time she ran the pads of her fingers over his foreskin had Steve nearly arching away from her body. A whimper left his lips as heat coiled in his belly. 

His breath hitched when she rolled his nipple between her fingers and finally wrapped her hand around his dick. She shushed him again and he focused on steadying his breathing. It was difficult because she was oh so carefully stroking over him now. Her hand laid flat over his chest, finally leaving his tender nipples alone. 

Steve wanted to beg her to go faster, to grip him harder, anything to bring his looming orgasm on faster. But his voice was trapped somewhere in his chest as she pressed open-mouthed kisses to his jaw and throat. The pleasure her touch brought was sluggish and thick, rising slowly. When she rolled her thumb over his tip, drawing back the foreskin to get directly to the sensitive skin under it, Steve let out a strangled moan. 

A wicked chuckle vibrated against his back and Steve moaned again. 

“You like that, don’t you? You like my hand on your cock? Does it feel good?” Todd’s voice was husky and low. Her crass words had whips of pleasure sliding through him, ratcheting the tension in his body up higher still. He opened his mouth to reply, but his voice was still lost. Instead, he nodded, letting go and simply floating as she touched and teased. The slow pleasure was persistent, lighting up his nerve endings as it rose like a tide in him. 

He lost track of time then, got lost in the feelings her soft hand was creating so that when his orgasm finally rolled over him it was surprising. It didn’t explode in his belly like he was used to, instead, it simply melted and spread through his body as he felt his dick jump in her hands. His body went rigid for only a moment at the first wave rose, before he went limp other than his twitching hips. 

When the whiteout cleared from his mind and he could think again, he peeled his eyes open and sat up. Turning to face her, he sat back on his heels in the water. Todd was leaned back against the edge of the tub again, her arms lifting from around him to lay along the edge. The bubbles had mostly popped, leaving behind a milky film on top of the purple water. She looked like a goddess again, and Steve felt warmth spread through his chest. Leaning in, setting his hands on her thighs to steady himself, he kissed her. 

She moaned as his tongue swept into her mouth, her hands coming up to stroke down his back. Pulling away from the kiss slowly, nipping at her bottom lip as he went, Steve sat back again to look at her. 

“Let’s go to bed, Baby Doll.” Steve murmured. Cracking her eyes open to look at him through her lashes, she smiled and nodded. Steve reached under his left knee and pulled the plug, letting the water drain away. When it was empty, Todd stood and used the handheld attachment to rinse the bubbles away from their skin. Glitter from whatever she’d put in the water clung to their skin and Steve couldn’t bring himself to care as he stepped out of the tub. Holding a towel for her, he helped dry her skin. When she was dry, he used the same towel to dry himself quickly. 

Steve left the towel in the hamper and followed her back into the bedroom. He didn’t think he’d be able to get hard again tonight, but he had a mouth and hands and was intent on giving her as much pleasure as she’d given him. He watched as she closed the curtains over the windows, and turned off lights, leaving only fairy lights twinkling from the metal frame above the bed. They cast a soft glow on the room, and when Todd climbed onto the bed without a stitch of clothing on her, Steve joined her. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, the chapter count went up again.

Steve woke abruptly the next morning, his mind screaming at him that he couldn't breathe. It took him a second to realize that he actually couldn’t. He’d had too many nightmares that left him feeling like this as he woke to think it was anything else. Scrambling into an upright position, Steve scanned the room as best as he could, desperate to find his inhaler. His chest felt like there was a vice around it. 

He found the small bit of plastic on the end table. It took only seconds to pull the mouth guard and put the thing to his mouth. It took a moment to remember how to use the damned thing, but once he’d taken the second hit he felt the pressure in his chest relax. Steve slumped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling through the gauzy fabric, trying to get his heart rate back under control. 

How long was he going to be stuck like this?

Before he could fall too far down that particular rabbit hole, a soft hand slid across his chest. Steve turned his head and offered Todd a stiff smile. She gave her own in return and scooted across the bed to lay her head next to his on the pillow. Moving stiffly, Steve rolled to face her. He reached up and tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear. 

Steve didn’t know what higher power had put him in Brooklyn that night, whose hand had guided him to her. But he offered up thanks to them. 

After Peggy, after waking up from the ice, he’d never thought he could have this. They weren’t normal, and with everything that was happening, he knew they could never have the white picket dream. But with Todd, he could have as much of that dream as was possible. 

She saw Steve, not just the shield, or the uniform. That damned poster in her apartment was enough to tell him that. She didn’t want the fame of dating an Avenger, didn’t want anything but his time and his affection. 

It was more than he’d ever thought he could have now, and it was so precious to him that he’d do anything to keep it. 

They didn’t speak, didn’t move more than her rolling to her side to face him properly. Before long Steve’s eyelids were drooping. She was asleep again before he was, though it was a close thing. 

***

It was close to noon by the time they’d crawled their way out of bed. Steve swallowed down a couple of over the counter pain pills when he found he couldn’t straighten completely. He’d been still for too long and everything ached. A hot shower helped, and by the time he managed the stairs, Todd had food sitting on the table again. 

Somehow the conversation as they ate turned to his past, and he laughed himself into another asthma attack as he told stories about the Howlies. The one about attempting to ride cows had her wheezing almost as hard as him. 

When the food was gone, Steve cleared the table once more. The dishes went into the dishwasher and he started it as Todd set up her laptop and drawing tablet on the dining table. 

“I’ve got to at least check my email, check in with Greg.” She said. Steve kissed the top of her head and wandered back up the stairs in search of his phone. He found it in the pants he’d had on yesterday, still folded on the bathroom counter. Glancing in the mirror he had to chuckle, there was glitter in his hair. He couldn’t find it in himself to be mad, the bath had been one of the most sensual things he’d ever experienced. 

He grabbed his new glasses before he went back downstairs with his phone. He settled onto one of the couches and sighed. It was sinfully comfortable, and he wondered where she’d gotten it. The couch in his rooms at the tower was like sitting on wood. 

Sam answered the phone on the fourth ring and Steve had to remind himself to keep the phone to his right ear. 

“Hey Sam, can you speak up for me?” Steve asked. 

“Yeah, man. What’s up?” Sam’s voice was still muffled, but he could hear it at least. Steve sighed and let his head lull back on the couch. 

“I need a few things from my room at the Tower. Do you think you can grab it for me and bring it to me?” Steve asked. There was silence for a beat or two before Sam replied. 

“Yeah. What do you need? And I’m gonna need an address.” Sam said. Steve felt relief flood through him. Tony may have been pissed at him, but Sam seemed to always just roll with the punches. 

“My sketchbook and charcoal. They’re in the bottom drawer of my desk. My laptop, tablet, and a change of clothes. The case for the computer should be in the linen closet. And I think I have a day roll in the bottom of my gym bag if you just want to grab that.” Steve said. 

“Sketchbook, charcoal, laptop, tablet and a change of clothes. I think I can handle that.” Sam replied. Steve waited a beat, wondering what else to say when Sam spoke again. 

“Hey, Tony came back yesterday fit to tear someone apart. What the hell happened? He’s not saying much more than you being benched for the foreseeable future.” Sam asked. Grinding his teeth, Steve reached up to rub between his eyes. He could feel a headache coming. 

“Can I explain it to you when you get here? It’s a lot to talk about and I don’t wanna talk about it over the phone.” He asked. A gentle hand slid into his hair and he opened his eyes to see Todd standing behind the couch, running her hands through his hair. It was soothing and he was able to shove the anger away again. Offering her a soft smile, he focused on Sam when he spoke again. 

“Alright, that’s not ominous. We’re gonna talk when I get there, Steve, don’t think you can get out of it. Send me that address and I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Sam said just before the line went dead. This was why he loved Sam. He never pushed unless he felt it was needed, simply took what was offered to him. Steve knew he wasn’t stupid, knew that his mind was always running, turning everything round and round till he understood it. He was incredibly observant and used it to his advantage. 

Dropping the phone to the cushion next to him, Steve sighed into the kiss that Todd gave him. Her hands smoothed down his neck and over his chest as she leaned down to him. The angle was all wrong to do more than press soft kisses to each other, but they still left him feeling looser, more relaxed when she straightened. 

Leaving him without a word, she went back to the table and her work while he sent Sam a text with the address. He knew it would take Sam close to an hour to get there, so he got up and started browsing the books that filled the room. There was such an eclectic mix of genres that he found more books that he hadn’t read than ones he had.

Settling on a fantasy book, he took it back to the couch and settled in to read while he waited for Sam. The glasses felt weird on his face, but they helped as he soon became immersed in the story. 

He was so wrapped up in the drama playing out at Stronghold, in the pain that Rohan was feeling for his dying father that he startled when Todd laid her hand on his shoulder. Keeping one finger in his place, he closed the book and looked up at her when his heart stopped stuttering in his chest. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. But I think Sam’s here. I can hear a car coming up the drive.” Todd said. She offered him a worn bookmark and a smile. Taking the soft cardboard, he admired the simple flower on it, though he couldn’t tell what color it was. Marking his place, he set the book on the coffee table in front of him and pulled his glasses off. 

He hadn’t noticed while he was reading but his eyes ached now that he’d stopped. Leaving his glasses on top of the book, he got up to answer the door when there was a knock on it. Todd had returned to her laptop, her phone held between her ear and her shoulder. 

Sam lifted an eyebrow when he opened the door, taking a long moment to look Steve over. 

“Yeah. You’ve got some explaining to do.” He said when Steve stepped to the side and let him in. Shaking his head, Steve knew this was going to be a long conversation. 

***

“Fuck.” Sam hissed, slumping back in the chair he was sitting in. Steve nodded, sipping on his mug of tea. More lemon and honey. He didn’t particularly care for it, but it was effective in washing the taste of chalk out of his mouth. His ulcers were acting up again. 

“We have no idea who this ‘World Killer’ is? No idea when he’ll show up?” Sam asked. Steve sighed and set his cup back on the coffee table. 

“No. But do you understand why I have to do these trials? Why I have to pass them?” Steve asked, looking up at his friend. Sam was… not pale exactly, but there was less warmth under his skin. Like all the blood had drained out of his face. A sigh left him in a great gust and he met Steve’s eyes. 

“Yeah. I get it. I’ll try to explain it to the others.” Sam said. Steve relaxed, just a little. 

“And Nemain said that she can help Bucky? Get whatever’s left of HYDRA out of his brain?” Sam asked. 

“Yeah. That’s what this Trial is for. All magic has a price, and if I pay it beforehand, we can control what that price is.” Steve said. Sam was studying him again, and Steve didn’t think he was going to like what he had to say next. 

“And if Bucky takes offense to you interfering with his life? Dude’s been pretty clear about not wanting to be found up to this point.” Sam said carefully. Steve stiffened and glared at Sam. 

“Don’t really have a choice in this Sam. Someone’s hunting him, trying to get close to him to use him. Not gonna let that happen when I can do something about it.” Steve snapped. Sam returned only a bland expression, even as he nodded. Sighing, Steve heaved himself to his feet and took his empty tea mug into the kitchen. 

“Just wanted to make sure you’re prepared for the backlash, man. He may not appreciate you sending Nemain after him is all I’m saying.” Sam said, following him so far as the island. Rinsing the cup out with perhaps more force than needed, Steve left it upside down in the sink and turned back to Sam. 

“I am prepared. And I can hope that whatever’s left of HYDRA is what’s keeping him away. But I’m not so naive to think that’s all it is.” Steve snarled, leaning back against the counter. He stood straight almost as soon as the hard counter touched his back. Pain had lanced through him the moment it had, and he had to remind himself that his back was fucked still. 

“Alright. Just so long as you’re being realistic about it.” Sam said. 

“I’ve read the file a dozen times, Sam. What they did to him? Yeah, I’m well aware that he may never be Bucky again. Doesn’t mean I should just stand aside and let someone come after him again.” Steve said, crossing his arms over his chest. It hit him suddenly, the picture he must make. Standing there in skinny jeans and a t-shirt with ‘Lipstick makes everything better’ printed on it, he must look like a petulant child. Todd had given him such a knowing smile when she’d held the shirt up for him in the store that he couldn’t say no to her. 

Shaking his head, trying to ignore the self-doubt welling up in him, he met Sam’s eyes. He knew his own were hard, but Sam of all people knew what he felt about the subject. 

“Survivor's Guilt is a hard thing to deal with, Steve. Don’t let it destroy you.” Sam said, blunt for the first time in a long time. Steve and Sam stared at each other for a long time before Steve looked away. He knew that Sam was right, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to do everything he could to save Bucky. 

He’d been the one to let him fall in the first place, let HYDRA get their hands on him. 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please be warned that this chapter contains graphic violence, blood and near death experiences.

Sam left not long afterward, with a promise to keep Steve updated on Tony’s search for Zemo. Steve promised to keep Sam up to date on what was happening with the Trials. Todd and Steve ended up curled up on the couch, Todd reading Dragon Prince to Steve while he ran his fingers through her hair. 

It was a quiet day, and even though Steve was enjoying the downtime, it left him antsy. He didn’t normally laze about all day doing nothing. 

After dinner, a grilled chicken salad with a vinaigrette dressing, they called it a night early. Steve felt useless as he crawled into bed. He’d done next to nothing but read and eat all day and he was bone tired. Todd simply curled up against his side, pressing a kiss to his shoulder and he felt a little better. 

He knew that this wasn’t going to last forever, knew that eventually, he’d get his chance to prove himself a hero. He just wished he wasn’t such a burden to Todd in the meantime. 

***

Todd didn’t know how long they’d been asleep when the crash of breaking glass woke her. She had been asleep on her stomach, her arm thrown over Steve’s waist. Looking up she found him awake as well, propped up on his elbows as he looked toward the staircase. Someone was moving around down there. The crunching of glass under heavy boots echoed in the silence of the house. 

Steve’s eyes met hers, and he lifted one finger to his lips. She nodded, sliding out of the bed on silent feet. Suddenly grateful for the quiet night, Todd found herself once again reaching for her walking stick wearing nothing but Steve’s shirt. At least she had some kind of clothing on. She’d claimed the one he’d worn the day before as her own, and was wearing it now. A simple dove grey affair, it stopped at mid-thigh and gaped around her shoulders. Steve had fallen asleep in nothing but his briefs.

Glancing at him as she drew the sword from the core of the walking stick, she found him reaching for his go-bag. Footsteps on the stairs drew her attention away from him and she turned to face whoever had been stupid enough to come into her house. 

The first thing she saw was the gun as the man came into view. When he spotted her, the gun swung to aim at her. Fear tripped through her at the sight of that gun. With assistance she could heal from a gunshot wound, in theory, but if he hit her heart or her head… 

A soft sound met her ears, and she fought to keep from looking at where Steve was mostly hidden on the other side of the bed. Steve couldn’t heal like she could. Not right now anyway. 

“Well… well… well. So we meet again.” The intruder was now standing at the top of the stairs, gun steady. It was only when she heard his voice that she recognized him. Greying brown hair, an unfortunate tan line across his forehead, hard cold eyes. It was one of the three men who’d followed her into the parking garage all those weeks ago. Standing in her house, with a gun. Todd had never regretted not killing a man as much as she did at that moment. 

“Drop the pig sticker, Pretty Girl.” He said, gesturing with the gun in his hands toward her sword. A flash of movement in the corner of her eye made her clench her teeth. She had to keep this idiot’s attention on her as long as she could. Steve was breakable, delicate right now. Easily killed. 

“Alright, just… don’t shoot me.” Todd said. Lifting her hands away from herself, she carefully bent at the knees. Setting the sword at her feet she straightened back up. The man looked her over and smiled. 

“Not so cocky now, are you? Me and you, we’re going to have a nice conversation about whatever the fuck it is that you did to me before.” The man said, stepping away from the stairs a few paces. Todd simply glared at him, keeping her eyes trained on him as she watched Steve slip out from under the bed. He was circling around to the man’s side, trying to flank him before he was noticed. She forced herself not to look, to not give away his position. 

“How did you find this place?” Todd asked. He took another step toward her. Steve was almost in position, but he was struggling to control his shield. It was heavier than it appeared. 

Todd’s heart stopped in her chest when the edge of it clipped the half wall that separated the loft from open air. The faint scraping noise was as loud as a canon in the nearly silent house. The intruder turned to look for the sound and Todd took the opening to rush him. 

The bark of the gun filled the air. Heat bloomed through Todd’s stomach, even as her knee connected with the man’s chest. He grunted and stumbled back a step. Steve burst into motion, barreling shield first into the man. They teetered on the top step before toppling over. 

Todd screamed as Steve was dragged down the stairs by the weight of his shield. 

Lifting a foot to rush to the stairs she felt something wet splash against it. Confused, and feeling like she was moving in slow motion, she looked down.

Red was spreading over the grey of her shirt, as more drip drip dripped onto her bare feet and rolled down her thighs. Confused, she lifted a hand to touch where it bloomed on her stomach. Where white-hot heat was spreading through her. Gasping in pain when her fingers touched her stomach, she felt her legs go out from under her. That fucker had shot her.

***

Steve tumbled down the stairs, tangled up in his shield and the man. He felt ribs crack when they finally settled at the bottom. But that sharp pain was far away, his mind was too focused on something else. He’d heard the gun go off. Todd. He had to get to Todd. 

Groaning in pain, panting and wheezing, Steve struggled to his feet. Shoving the pain of his ribs and the bruises he could feel blooming on his skin away, he managed to find them. Squinting through the dark, Steve had to swallow hard when he was finally able to focus on the man. Blood was spreading from around his head. A head that was sitting on his neck at the wrong angle. 

Scared at his lack of regret at the man’s death, Steve stumbled to the stairs and began to climb. 

He had to get to Todd. 

It took him so long to get up the stairs, having to stop halfway up to drop his shield and try to catch a breath. The ribs were making it difficult to breathe as they grated against each other. Ignoring the clanging of his shield as it tumbled down the stairs a second time, Steve pressed a hand to his chest and finished climbing the stairs. 

What he found had his heart beating wildly in his chest. Todd was crumbled on the floor, her hands pressed to her stomach. Blood oozed from under her fingers, was spreading in an ever-widening pool around her. Snagging the afghan he’d napped under off the foot of the bed, he bundled it up and pressed it over Todd’s hands. Kneeling next to her he locked his elbows and used his weight to put pressure on the wound when her hands slid out from under the blanket. Her ragged scream echoed off the rafters. 

“It’s gonna be okay, Baby Doll,” Steve whispered. It wasn’t until a tear landed on the back of his hand that he realized he was crying. But he knew. Knew that the Team was too far out, would take them at least fifteen minutes to get here from the Tower. How long had it been since he’d pushed the panic button he kept in his go-bag? 

His knee slipped and he let out a harsh sob as more blood oozed from around the blanket. Todd’s fingers landing on his cheek drew his eyes to hers. She opened her mouth to speak and Steve shook his head. 

“Don’t. Save your breath, Baby Doll. It’s gonna be okay. The Team’s on their way.” Steve said. She blinked at him and nodded. A thump from downstairs made him jerk and she cried out a second time. Steve glanced over his shoulder, feeling incredibly exposed. Was there someone else here? He couldn’t let go of Todd, couldn’t get up to defend her. Even with the pressure he was holding against her, the pool of blood under her was still growing. 

“Steve!?” Sam’s voice came from downstairs and Steve sobbed in relief. The Team was already here. He didn’t ask how. 

“Up here! Sam! Todd’s been shot!” Steve called. Pain stabbed through his chest, but he ignored it. Steps came thumping up the stairs and Steve looked over his shoulder to watch Sam and Tony come into view. Tony wasn’t in his suit, and Steve wondered about that for only a second. It didn’t matter. 

Sam rushed to Steve’s side, dropping to his knees on the other side of Todd. Steve gratefully allowed him to take over. Instead, Steve scooped up Todd’s hand and clutched at it. His other hand slid under her neck so he could cradle her head, making her look at him. Tony must have found the light switch because light flooded the room. 

A flicker went over Todd’s features, and then Steve was staring into liquid brown eyes. The whites of them almost completely obscured by the overlarge iris and pupil. Her horns were white at the base, fading into a dark black near the points. Her glamour had dropped, and it made Steve’s heart stutter in his chest. She was running out of energy. 

Twin gasps came from Sam and Tony, but Steve ignored them because he’d remembered something. 

“You said you healed when you fed? Feed from me. Come on, it’s okay.” Steve said. Her eyes went wide and she shook her head tiredly. Her eyes were glazed, and she was ashen. Steve snarled at her, tightening his hand on the back of her neck. Her eyes flicked to Sam and Tony before she spoke. 

“Steve… You’re barely… breathing right now…” Todd murmured. Steve stared as she turned her head and spit out blood. Rage rose suddenly, finally able to push the fear and pain away as he glared down at her. 

“Todd. You’re dying. You’re going to bleed out! Do not make me tell you again! Feed from me and heal!” Steve snapped. He knew that Sam couldn’t do anything, no matter his training, not with how much she was bleeding. There was nothing they could do here and she wasn’t going to last long enough to get her to a hospital. She stared at him for a long moment before nodded. Opening her mouth, she drew a long slow breath in through her mouth. He watched as glowing energy collected around his body only to be sucked into her mouth. 

It was an… odd sensation. A tickling feeling as the energy trailed over his skin. It felt like someone was drawing a piece of silk over him. A soft curse came from somewhere over his shoulder, but he ignored Tony. Instead, he offered Todd a smile when she closed her mouth and swallowed hard, before opening her mouth a second time. Locking eyes with her, Steve watched apprehension fill her eyes as the second draw had a cold sweat breaking out over his skin. His hands were trembling, the grip he had on her hand and neck loosening. He felt… weak. More weak then he’d ever felt in his life. 

Todd swallowed a second time but when she didn’t try to draw more away, Steve nearly growled at her. 

“Todd! Do it!” He snapped. Even he could hear the wheezing in his breath, could feel his ribcage rattle with every breath, the broken ribs screaming with pain. She had a little more color in her cheeks, but he could see the blood under them spreading further. She was still bleeding heavily. 

“I’ve never taken so much… I don’t know what will… happen if I do. You’re already weakening…” Todd whispered, licking her lips. Blood from her mouth smeared over them. A hand landed on Steve’s shoulder but he shrugged it off. Using what strength he had left in his hands he clutched Todd’s hand to his belly. 

“Todna! Just fucking do it! I couldn’t… I need you to be okay.” His voice broke and he felt the tears return as the anger that had fueled him slipped away. She was dying and he could save her. That’s all that mattered to him. The hand returned, but Steve ignored it as he stared down at Todd, pleading with her with his eyes. Trying to get her to understand how much she meant to him. His life didn’t matter to him, not nearly as much as hers did. 

Before Todd could react to his words, Steve groaned. Power poured through his veins, pain close on its heels as his muscles bulged and bone lengthened. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed his scream and focused on keeping eye contact with Todd. Even as he packed on a hundred pounds and grew nearly a foot. When it stopped, when he could take a deep breath once again, he sighed. 

Gentling the grip he had on her hand, Steve leaned over her to press his forehead to hers. 

“Come on, Baby Doll. Take what you need. Please, I can’t lose you.” He nearly sobbed. Todd’s hands trembled as they reached up to touch his cheeks. Blood smeared there, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was watching as Todd opened her mouth and drew against his aura again. The sensation was more intense now, and the glow that gathered off his skin was almost blinding it was so bright. 

She drew against him three more times before stopping. Straightening, he watched as Sam lifted the blanket away from her carefully. No more blood poured out. Sam brushed her shirt up, to look at her stomach and Steve was glad she’d worn underwear to bed. Her stomach was smooth under the blood, not even a scar remained. Sobbing with relief, Steve scooped her into his arms and cradled her against him. Her arms went around his neck and he let his tears pour out onto her shirt. He could feel her own on his neck where her face was pressed. 

Soaked in her blood they clutched at each other and tried to find even ground once more. Steve knew at that moment that he loved her more than he thought possible, that she was so wrapped up in his heart that he’d never be able to pry her out. He didn’t care though, wanted her right where she was. In his arms and in his heart. 


End file.
